Eight Months and Three Years

Yes. Eight. Months. Old. Seriously. I am telling you, it seems like as fast as Jakob grew/is growing, Lily is leaving him in the dust!  It seems like this is flying by faster than it did with Jakob, and I do not like it!  Lily's six month appointment was Friday.  That's right.  Her SIX month appointment was two days before her EIGHT month birthday.  I am that mom, and I am okay with it.  Lily weighs 17 lbs 5 oz and is 26 inches long.  She is still wearing most of her newborn or size one shoes.  Her feet are crazy small and petite which means we are way getting our money's worth in the shoe department!  She is sitting unassisted very well and standing while only holding on to one adult finger.  She is so not interested in crawling or being on her tummy.  She is rolling quite nicely from front to back but would never in a million years choose to roll from back to front, thus putting her on her tummy by choice!  Never.  She finds her red-headed temper quickly when put on the floor, or on the couch, or in her high chair, or in her bouncer, or in her crib, or...you get it.  The girl likes to be held.  A lot.  As much as I may not like my hip attachment all day, everyday, I must admit that I love it at the same time.  I know now that this time is all too fleeting, and I am trying to soak up these times with her.  She is incredibly happy and will smile for anyone.  Still no teeth and no swollen gums, but lots of slobber and chewing.  Lily is still stuck on only saying 'da-da' and 'bye-bye,' but is making all kinds of sounds and loving to 'sing along' with the choirs at school.  Jakob may very well be her favorite person on the planet right now.  She watches him with such interest and will laugh on cue at his magic tricks she has seen three thousand times.  She is better with a three-year-old's sense of humor than I am!  :-)

Speaking of that three-year-old, he is as funny as ever.  He has changed so much in these last few months.  He is increasingly thoughtful, responsible, and grown-up.  This last week he was asking me about relationships in our family.  Here's how it went:  "Daddy is your husband, and you are his wife.  (wrinkled eyebrows and finger tapping on pursed lips.)  hmmm...very interesting."  It is so funny and rewarding to see him really start to take ownership of himself.  From things as little as washing himself in the bathtub, dressing himself from head to toe, and opening his own car door to major things like saying prayers with specific requests, cleaning his room when asked without argument (not everytime!), and desiring to learn anything and everything we will talk with him about.  He LOVES to cook.  He will help measure, pour, crack eggs, stir, and of course, eat!  He asks to wash dishes with us, sweep the floor with us, make the bed with us, fold laundry with us...are you catchin on that it is all 'with us'?!  It may take a lot longer to get my tasks accomplished, but I am praying that God continues to give me patience in the timing in order to spend that time with Jakob and teach him all of these things.  He is SO ready to learn to read, write, and do math.  He is forever counting fingers: "2 fingers plus 3 fingers is FIVE FINGERS!"  Love it.  He isn't coloring in the lines or writing legible letters, but he is trying.  He will sound out every word.  On some days, I feel like we talk in syllables all day long.  "Mommy, say but-ter.  Say Lil-y.  Say Jak-ob.  Say...."  You get it.  It is so much fun to see him hit this stage of life.  I just worry that Jared and I don't keep up!  He will go to preschool in the fall for three days a week, and he is more excited that anyone.  We 'practice' having preschool several times a week at his prompting. 

This post (after reading over it) could seem a bit 'braggy', but please know my intent is to make a record for myself, not to throw out a comparison stick in any way.  One of the things God is teaching me right now is just how perfect His timing is in all things.  Just take a gander at Ecclesiastes.  Enjoy whatever 'time' you're in today!