Devin- Six Months Old

This fourth kid thing is tough. Sometimes I feel like I get lost in the mix. Once again, Mommy is really busy and hasn't had time to journal about me turning six months old. So once again, I will do it myself!

Today I went to the doctor and they talked about how big I am. Who cares? All I hear is how fat I am. I get it, okay? I have man boobs! But that doesn't give anyone the right to squeeze and jiggle them. Cool it already. You are giving me a complex! This is how big I am. Sounds about right to me!

Weight- 18 pounds 2 ounces= 60%
Length- 26.5 inches= 51%
Head- 17.1 inches= 41%

For the record, I have no idea what that % thing means.

Today Dr. Allred felt around on my boyhood parts and said that my wee wee had shrunk up inside. He and Mom laughed. I didn't think it was too funny. It was a cold room! It shrinks!

I also got four shots. That's right, four shots! I was really happy at first. Mom was all up in my face talking to me and I was smiling and laughing at her. And then out of no where I felt this pain in my leg. Then I felt it again, and again, and again! What the heck?! Then Mom started crying. I was confused. Did she have a pain in her leg too? Man, that hurt! I was tricked.

I love boobs. Especially Mommy's boobs. Good thing she has two of them. Mmmm...straight from the tap. That's how I like it. Dr. Allred said something about my milk being straight cream. Whatever that means... All I know is it is good and I drink it all day long. A while back Mom started giving me something that is soft and white and mushy. I eat it out of a spoon and I think it is called rice cereal of something. I like it alright. Mom tries to make me eat it every once in a while and the only reason I comply is because I know I get to wash it down with the good stuff right afterward. That makes it all worth it.

Ever since Mommy started giving me the white mushy stuff, my tummy has felt different. Sometimes I get gassy and everyone makes comments about how stinky it is. I can't help it and it hurts my feelings! A guy has to get it out somehow, right? Dad says I can clear a room like no other. And my poop... LOOK OUT!! The other day I was lying on the floor just chillin and I felt it coming on. I made that face and then... well you know. It made a mess. It leaked all out of my diaper and got all over the carpet. I heard Mom say a naughty word. After she cleaned me up she got out the carpet cleaner. She said it was the best thing Santa ever brought her. I lied there on the floor and watched her clean it up. Man, I was proud of the mess I'd made! And I thought the carpet cleaner was pretty cool. I was memorized as I watched it go back and forth.

About a week ago I started sleeping in my little crib. Not all the time, but sometimes. Mom has never made me cry it out and I really dig that. She feeds me when I get sleepy and then she lays me down in my crib and I snuggle up with the blanket that my Aunt Lynn made me. I fall asleep and it's nice. At night we do the same thing. She puts me to bed in my crib rather than nursing me to sleep in bed with her. And I'm okay with that too. This transition has been really gradual and it hasn't phased me at all. That's the way it shoudl be, right? But at night I wake up after Mom gets in her bed. I miss her and you know what? She misses me too. So I snuggle in with her in bed and I smell her. Man, she smells so good! What is that... Secret powder scented deodorant? I like it. Something about her warmth and her breath makes me feel safe and happy. We are a great match for each other. One day I'll sleep in my little bed through the night, but neither of us are worried about that today. Right now it is bliss.

I am so good at getting around these days. When I figured out I could roll back and forth, I realized that I own the place! I can get anywhere I want to go just by rolling. Awesome! And I must have something in my hands at all times. And whatever I have in my hands, it makes it's way to my mouth. Mmmm, I like having things in my mouth. My gums feel funny lately and I drool all the time. Sometimes my mouth hurts and I start crying and Mom comes over and squirts some nasty red goo in my mouth. Yuck! She says it tastes like cherry. I say it tastes like garbage!

I discovered my feet! They are the coolest things ever. And guess what? Turns out everyone has feet! I did not know that. My feet are fun and I like to grab them and try to stick them in my mouth. Again with the "everything goes in my mouth" thing.

My sisters are weird. They freak me out sometimes and to be honest, I think they want to kill me. The other day the girl with the curly hair said "Mommy, can I ride Devin like a horse?" WTH?? Mommy told her no. Then the curly haired girl said "Mommy, can I ride him just a little bit?" Again she was told no. Then Mommy left the room. Bad Mommy! The curly haired girl flipped me over on to my belly and saddled up. She jumped on my back and started bouncing up and down, using the back of my shirt like reins. I started screaming and tried to buck her off, but I wasn't strong enough. Good thing Mommy heard my cry for help and she came running in to save me. The curly haired girl had to go sit in something called "The Naughty Corner". But I knew once she was free she'd come after me again. I am never safe.

Well, that's it for now. I've got lots more to say, but I'm sure you will hear from me in another month or two. Life as a baby is awesome!

A Very Merry Un-Birthday To You!

Devin turned six months old on Sunday, and by way of tradition we had a little celebration for him. We love celebrating our babies' un-birthdays at our house! Six months is a big fat bittersweet milestone!

Day 5 Spring Break- Friday

On Friday we headed out to Jungle Jim's Playland. I had only been to one of these places once when I was a kid, and that was in Houston. I went there for a birthday party and I remember thinking it was so cool! Well my kids loved it just as much. We took our neighbor friend, Jack, with us. We stayed for about four hours and even then the kids were not ready to go home! We will for sure be heading out there again. What a fun day!

Side note- Ethan made a new friend. A really special thing about that kid is he makes friends easily. He genuinely loves people and he loves getting to know them. Somehow he became friends with a kid about his age and they were stuck together like glue almost all day. This kid was probably five or six years old and get this...he had a full on mullet hair cut and both ears pierced! That's right, he sported diamond studs in both ears. Oh my. Ethan really does have love in his heart for all people, despite how white trash they appear!

3 Word Answers

What I am doing: reading in Jacob
What I’m proud of today: not eating chocolate
What I’m thinking about: should read scriptures
Who is home: the whole family
Plans tonight: shop, clean, veg
My weekend was: busy, hectic, rejuvinating
What’s for dinner: mall food court
Feelings about love: glad it's eternal
Feelings about life: crazy and incredible
What I need: more time everyday
What I want: size C boobs
What I have: size F boobs
My pet peeve: not enough time
My guilty pleasure: working in garden
What you don’t know about me: I'm very smart
What I can hear: hum of fan
What I can smell: nose plugged up
My style: classic simple fun
My hairdo: miss long hair
My outfit: tee and braless
My mood: content, happy, grateful
The weather today: 50s, windy, cloudy
Thoughts on parenting: exhausting, rewarding, fleeting
Thoughts on marriage: challenging, worth it
Thoughts on politics: don't get involved
Thoughts on celebrity gossip: couldn't care less
Thoughts on beauty: the motherly figure
Thoughts on sleep: hard to attain
Thoughts on writing: love doing it
My favorite appliance: dishwasher, washer, dryer
My favorite car: my Toyota Sienna
My favorite splurge: vacations with family
My favorite beauty secret: shower every day
My favorite treat: day old brownies
My favorite everyday pleasure: playing the piano
Ten years ago: didn't know Cody
Five years ago: toddler, buying house
One year ago: pregnant, Joseph alive
One year from now: hope we're healthy
Five years from now: no more babies
Ten years from now: Ethan driver's license
I’m famous for: over scheduling myself
I’ll never be famous for: my softball skills
Who I am: daughter of God
Who I hope to be: with family forever
What I’m thankful for: gospel, family, friends

Day 4 Spring Break- Thursday

How we love Wheeler Farm! It's such a perfect time of year for a visit. I was surprised at how un-busy it was. The weather was incredible and there were so many baby animals to see. The girls got a huge kick out of petting the brand new baby goat (born one week ago) and seeing the baby cow. It's amazing how protective their mamas were! And they should be. We fed the ducks and geese, had a picnic lunch, climbed trees, went on a tractor ride, climbed hay bale towers, explored, took a million pictures, and enjoyed a great afternoon of being together.

Day 3 Spring Break- Wednesday

We finally decided to buy a Rec Center membership because we are a family of water bugs. Already we've been putting it to good use. On Wednesday I took the kids swimming during the afternoon. And once again, every mom in town had the same idea because the place was packed. I think everyone is as cabin crazy as we are, and are very ready for warm weather! This was the first time I'd ever been swimming with all four kids, and it was quite the trip. That will take some getting used to!

Daddy & Lauren Day

On April 3rd Lauren got to spend some alone time with Daddy. He needed to run some errands so she tagged along with him. They made a stop at the local country store and she was very excited to see the bunnies and baby chicks!! Cody said she wanted to stay there forever and look at them. Then they headed to Costco and she got a huge kick out of helping Daddy shop. She is really loving these little trips where she gets Mom or Dad all to herself!

Lauren's First Dentist Trip

The kids had a dentist appointment on April 1st. Dr. Romney likes to start seeing the kids when they are about two and a half, so this was Lauren's first trip. She was very apprehensive about the whole thing, just like Ethan and Hailey were when they were that age. Cody took the day off of work, so it was nice having his help there. I went with the older two kids into one exam room, and Cody took Lauren to another room.

Ethan and Hailey were awesome. The older they get, the more they love the dentist. Ethan was especially excited this time because he got to show Dr. Romney his missing tooth. I really love his staff there because they are so warm and happy to see us. I warned them about Lauren, fully expecting her to have a meltdown. But to our surprise, she was pretty calm! Cody held her in his lap and Dr. Romeny did a fairly quick exam. He didn't do a full cleaning, but he checked around to make sure everything was as it should be. We were so proud of the Chudda for being so brave! Way to go!

Day 2 Spring Break- Tuesday

Of all the years since the new Discovery Gateway was finished, we have never been. We are so behind the times. So on Tuesday we ventured out and "discovered" it for ourselves. And I must say I was quite impressed! It was a little crowded, but the kids had an awesome time exploring the place. We stayed for about four hours and even then they were not ready to leave. We might invest in a membership, but I'm still not sure.

Ethan is a comic. He loves to make people laugh, and I think he is pretty funny. In one part of the museum there is a big news area where kids can pretend to report the news and weather. There is a big green screen and the kids can act just like weather people. Ethan was being so funny as he was reporting the "weather" that people started gathering around and just laughing at the original things he was saying. Before long there was a crowd, and he loved having an audience. But when we were driving home and I mentioned it to him, he said "Mom, it really hurt my feelings how everyone was laughing at me!" I tried to explain it to him that they were laughing because he was being so funny, but he didn't get it. Sorry Bud, but it comes with the territory when you are a comedian!

Day 1 Spring Break- Monday

It snowed all night and into the morning, so the kids woke up to even more snow than we had on Easter! Drag. I know we need the moisture, but it was a bummer to have such a cold spring break. Since I still was not feeling well, we stayed home most of the day. The kids spent a while in the morning playing in the snow, then we did a lot of arts and crafts, and then Jack came over and the kids pulled out the costumes. I think I helped kids change, untie, tie, zip, fold right-side-out...at least twenty times. Lauren was a stinker and refused to let me take any pictures of her.

That evening Lauren was feeling crummy, so Dad (who was also feeling crummy) stayed home with the younger two kids and I took the older ones to the pool. I think every one else in town had the same idea because it was PACKED. Packed like I'd never seen it before! I "forgot" for a moment that my ears were infected and I went under water for just a second, but I think it caused even more damage. When we went outside to the van it was snowing so hard that I could barely see the pavement. The drive home was a very scary and VERY cold one. Hooray for April, right?