Older Brother Update

Christopher is a 4 year old!  He had his birthday and although we didn't do anything extraordinary on his birthday, I think he had a good day.  The Sunday before we had cake and ice cream with some Morrise family members and let him open one or two presents.
.

His birthday cake. I laugh at it each time I see it, but he
 thought it was cool and it tasted good

I love his face!

I thought it would be fun to fill his cake with M&M's thinking he'd be so excited
and really he could have cared less.  Good to know.

He opened his presents in the morning, and then we had pancakes which he got a candle in.

 While the babies napped and Steven was at school, I let these boys take a LONG bubble bath.  They loved it.

Ryan, Christopher, and William

We went to eat dinner at Dickey's, where he doesn't necessarily like the food but you can get as much soft serve ice cream as you want.  Which is his dream come true.  Then we headed over to the Natural Curiosity Museum at Thanksgiving Point which of course he had a great time at.

The only picture I took at the curiosity museum

Steven's 100 chart that he did 100% on his own...

I ADORE this picture.  They really are friends sometimes

Christopher is best at the backwards hugging

 Steven came out of school with his pants ripped.  I'm not sure how long it was like this, but he was sure proud of himself...and we didn't get a call from the school.  So I guess we can label this as a win-win.

Steven and Christopher were playing with tape and Steven said, "Hey mom, I have tape on my hands."  Then Christopher replied, "Hey mom, I have tape on my eyes!"

 Christopher

 -loves to play with Steven and his friends or William and Ryan. He's pretty easy going, as long as they are doing what he wants to do.
-when asked to clean up, lately he'll ask what will happen if he doesn't.  He will do the minimal that can get away with when it comes to chores and helping around the house.
-either loves dinner ("this is the best dinner ever, you should make this every night!") or hates it and refuses to eat it, and usually will go to bed STARVING. Sorry kid, not going to work on me.  The funny thing is, sometimes the same dinner will have both those labels.
-has the best laugh.  He often gets away with trouble because he's having so much and laughing so hard that we just have to laugh along with him.
-is a great snuggler and will often just lie down next to Jacob or I and snuggle.
-also will very sweetly hug us from behind and rest his head next to us.  It's usually when I'm sitting down trying to do something and at first I get frustrated because I can't do what I originally need to do, but really how can I not love it.  I do.
-loves to play with puzzles and color

Steven's HUGE sucker he won at school.

I told me to act like he was really excited.
(he may have some of my genes)

 Steven
-is doing great in Kindergarten!  We went to our first parent teacher conference and Mrs. Narveaz told us over and over again how right we were to put him in Kindergarten when we did.  He's one of the top readers in his class.  Loves math, and art.
-is getting obsessed with google earth
-still sucks his thumb most of the day...
-talks like William and Ryan at home (unrecognizable), but he does reassure us that he talks normal at school.  So at least there's that.
-loves to do word searches
-is always very inquisitive and wants to KNOW everything.
-loves to ride his back outside and play with the neighborhood boys, good thing there's a lot!

Both Steven and Christopher are great big brothers and are often playing with Max and Spencer.  Usually too rough, but the babies love it, so how can I break it up!?  I can't.  And usually it ends up in tears, but at least they're building a relationship.

Sneaker

 Selfie shots!

 Steven loves to make "Towers"

All the boys love to get their vitamins (fluoride and multivitamin (gummy bear form)) and play with them in these little houses.  Usually someone cries and asks for more because theirs is stuck or lost.  But really it keeps them quiet for a good 15 minutes, can't complain

SpencerMax Update

I was going to wait to do these guys until closer to their birthday, but they're not going to change that much in 2 weeks and then it will be a smaller post just about their birthday.

Max's ice cream experience

Spencer eating ice cream

Spencer sleeping

Max's adorable sleep

Not afraid to climb on each other

Love when the door's open

Spencer venturing out

Always climbing and helping mom

 My friend's little girl Katie also had a superman outfit from Halloween and we finally took picture of them together and they really hit it off!  We'd be just fine if they ended up getting married.

Spencer and Katie

I love it when he does this!
Wants to be with the big boys

When a door's open, they get there as fast as they can!

I know demin eyes for Max, but look at that air!

 Max
-is 11 months old, has 8 teeth and getting a molar, takes 2 naps a day though he doesn't seem to need quite as much sleep as Spencer. He's usually awake when I check on him while Spencer is still snoozing away.
-When he's hungry, he'll eat like you've never fed him, but when he's not there is NO way you are getting that food into his mouth
- has finally started to actual crawl instead of the army crawl this past month
-climbs up on everything and everyone and taking small steps along things.
-sleeps with a binky, and although I can never find a binky when I need to put him to sleep he can always finds one when he's not necessarily supposed to have one.
-will usually smile at you if you are smiling at him, but his resting face looks like scowl.
-scoots himself off the changing pad if he could. I have to use one hand to hold him there and the other to change the diaper.  He thinks it's hilarious.
-officially drinking whole milk! He actually decided he didn't want formula anymore.  And that's why I love this kid!

Now Max into everything he can reach

What I see from Spencer when I go to get them from a nap

What I see from Max.

Whenever I go downstairs, this is what I see.
I LOVE it!

The cutest momma's boy!

Max...does what he wants.

Playing with the big boys now

I adore these two!

Spencer and Max are the best travel buddies

Always needs to be next to his mom

Max's new trick, lifting up his shirt to show off his adorable tummy

Spencer's first time down the slide...he didn't like it

 Spencer
-is 11 months old, has 8 teeth and getting a molar, takes 2 naps a day, and is about a pound heaver and an inch longer than Max.  There's a definite difference in their apprearance because of this and also when you left them up you can tell Spencer is more solid.
-sucks his thumb and puts the corner of the blanket into his hand and up to his nose when he falls asleep.  Sometimes he'll cry at night and all I need to do it give him the corner of the blanket and that's all he needs to settle down.
-has just started to crawl traditionally the last couple of days, before it was what I call the injured army crawl (just one arm was crawling the other would lag behind.
-he also has been standing up more often along things and people, though it usually takes him a bit more time due to his large head and his thickness.
-loves to roll off the changing table when I'm not looking.  He's never fallen but he thinks he's hilarious for trying.
-loves to eat anything and everything he tries.  There's rarely a time when I try to feed him that he refuses.
-LOVES his mother.  Most of the time if I'm in the same room as him it's fine, but more and more he needs to be at my feet or being held.  He gets especially mad when I'm getting something done so I move from room to room and he has to follow me everywhere.
-has the biggest smile that he will freely give - as long as mom's in sight. and cheeks that everyone loves.

-officially drinking whole milk, and likes it decently well.

My usual view of Spencer. Up close and so cute!

One of the cutest stages!

It seems like all the boys adore Max,
maybe it's because he's not always crying for his mom

How these kids eat when we eat pizza while watching a movie