Four months old

James and Elizabeth are already four months old. I can't believe it!

We are really enjoying their smiles and laughs and coos. It's fun to see their different personalities.

James loves to look at toys hanging up on his bouncy seat. He pulls the hook to make it play the song over and over. He is now pretty content to sit and hang out--unless he's hungry. Then he's one of the most impatient babies I've ever seen. Thrashing and crying and wailing like he's starving. Very dramatic. Then after he eats he gives the biggest smile and it totally melts my heart.

Elizabeth is still relatively laid back, as long as she is getting some personal attention. She wants to be held and talked to all day. She is content to wait and eat as long as I talk to her and make faces, but if she feels neglected she will let you know. She has started making the sweetest coos and smiles so much, especially for Jay and Catherine. Super sweet.

At their four month checkup today James weighed 13 lbs 2 oz (16%) and is 24 in long (18%). Elizabeth weighed 13lbs 5oz (43%) and is 25in long (78%). We were very surprised that she weighs more because he feels much thicker. It's also interesting how only a couple of ounces and one inch make such a big difference in the percentiles at this age and for boy vs girl.

We are thankful for healthy growing babies!

The leaves are falling...

The leaves are falling, one by one. Hooray! Hooray!

The leaves are falling, one by one. Hooray! Hooray!

The leaves are falling one by one 

The red one sparkles in the sun

and they all go falling down, to the ground, flying in the wind.

The leaves are falling, two by two. Hooray! Hooray!

The leaves are falling, two by two. Hooray! Hooray!

The leaves are falling two by two....

(feel free to sing along; we have lots of leaves)

Picture day

This is how Will wanted to dress up for picture day at school! He's so funny!

A little trip with the babies

Jay and the babies and I had the opportunity to go to Amelia Island, Florida for the past four days. Jay had some committee meetings and they invite the spouses to come along. The babies were happy to join us too.

They really enjoyed having extra mommy attention while daddy was in meetings. Then we all had some free time together. Jay got to play some golf and tennis; I went to the spa one afternoon; and the babies were happy to hold hands and play on the hotel bed. James especially liked staying at the hotel and christened it by peeing all over the wallpaper in the hotel bathroom. Way to make your mark buddy!

We missed our other kiddos but were thankful for the break and time away. Now it's back to real life!

Discovering their hands

This silly one

This silly one is so much fun right now. She's at that great stage where she talks to us but doesn't filter what she says so you get to hear the most random thoughts all day.

She loves to play I Spy, only she doesn't fully grasp the concept. So she'll say she spies "something green", for example, and you'll name all the green things you see. And she'll day "nope" to all of them. If you ask her what it is she spies she says "I not know!" or she spies something that's at home while you're riding in the car. Or she just tells you what it is. It's really cute, although Catherine and Will get frustrated that she can't play the game the right way.

And then there's the issue of please and thank you. It has now been FIVE months that she has refused to use these words. It's completely intentional and she is so stubborn. When we ask get what she wants to pray for at night she says "that I say please and thank you and not be rude.". So she gets it. It's her form of rebellion.

Gotta love our crazy Anna. She's a lot different than her big sister and brother and it's fun to watch her approach life a little differently than the others.

Slumber party

What happens when daddy is out of town? A slumber party!

Will tosses and turns and isn't actually in his sleeping bag Please note that Eli, the dog, is curled up on Will's sleeping bag though.

Catherine has her trusty clock. What kid uses a clock as a security blanket? Apparently she does.

Anna finally fell asleep approximately 1 1/2 hours after the others. She's our late night party animal.

I'm sure Jay is enjoying a quiet, peaceful but lonely hotel room.