7 Month Old Rowland

Well my poor heart just doesn't get any consideration when it comes to my babies growing up. Rowland hit his 7 month mark and is now closer to being 1 year old than when he was born.  What am I going to do with myself?  At this rate, I'm going to be an empty nester by next Thursday.  Okay - I exaggerate (and there is NO feeling of having an empty nest at this present day and age - we're a busy bee house here are the White's).  Back to the point. My little baby is growing up.
 

He's pretty thrilled to be 7 months - can you tell?

Rowland has decided that his voice is pretty fun, along with experimenting with what sounds his mouth and lips can create.  Raspberries were a preference for quite a while (to the distress of his mother's outfits during his meal times).  He has slowly progressed to "bah" and while his mommy does her darndest to get him to say "mama", she is currently putting forth her efforts all for naught.  

Rowland has also gotten extremely good at rolling over on his tummy.  So much so, that he has forgotten how to roll back on to his back half the time, and therefore, when he is over being on his belly, he calls out in distress for someone to flip him over.  Luckily, Ross has become a professional brother roller, and saves Rowland from his belly predicament.  Ruby tries to as well...but Rowland doesn't find her methods as comfortable as Ross's half the time.  While on his tummy he can do 360 turns though and roughly can move around a corner of the room.   

We are STILL working on the sitting up thing.  He's a little guy who's pretty top heavy, so he can stay planted for a little while and then slowly starts folding in half again.  He doesn't mind though and just flips right on to his belly.  I wonder almost if he'll crawl before he'll sit???
 

This is the pre-folding in half phase of sitting. ;)

His schedule has been getting all over the place (thanks to brother, sister, and mama).
The USUAL schedule goes:
7ish AM: Wake up and nurse, eat some oatmeal and a yogurt or fruit, play with mama or whichever sibling is awake.
9ish: Nap
12ish: Wake up and nurse, lunch fruit and veggie, play, get stuck on belly, get rolled over, repeat, laugh hysterically at a funny sound or face because he gets so tired
1:30ish: Nap
4ish: Wake up, nurse, play with toys while mom teaches piano (on Mondays and Fridays), feel the need to be held for a while, chew on toys, pass them from hand to hand, play with feet (laugh hysterically if he can get his toes in his mouth)
5:30ish: Eat fruit and veggie, play some more on the floor, or jump in the Johnny jump up, or sit in the bumbo chewing on toys and watching mom make dinner
7:30ish bath, pj's (we're getting rid of the swaddle!), nurse, binky, bed for the night.

This boy is a total joy in our family - one hysterical joy.  He laughs so easily and gets excited so quickly when given attention.  It's hard not to want to pick him up and squeeze him every second of the day.  I live for looking in his chocolate brown eyes and kissing his sweet chubby cheeks.  Everyone just loves when he's around and he adores everyone who smiles at him.

And now we're in the grabbing phase...watch out world - he's got QUITE a grip too (witnessed by a longer haired mother).

We have found that if he is put in a noisy crowd with lots of unknown people around him for too long, he gets stressed out and stranger danger seems to kick in, and he needs mama to make him feel better.  BUT - if we're in a chill, small setting, he will pretty much go to anyone still (which is good considering we're going on a trip soon and he will be staying with grandma and grandpa for 4 days....I know....I'm stressing out about it too (grandma and grandpa will be just fine though and I know it's going to be OK!!)).  

Some of Rowland's preferences:
Playing peekaboo
Any silly sound you can make with your mouth
Playing the blanket peekaboo game (it takes his breath away and he laughs loads)
Catching mommy's eye and melting her with his smile
Pears and carrots
Craning his neck to see whatever might be going on out of his line of sight
Being tickled (under his arms specifically)

His vibrating chew toy when he bits it - it feels good on his gums
Ross and Ruby
Chillin' with Daddy on the couch
Looking up at the trees outside

We sure love our little guy and his mother is still trying to devise how to make time stand still.  Happy 7 Months Rowland Poland!   

Here are some hilarious laughing videos for your enjoyment. :)

STARTING School 2015...None of This BACK to School Stuff

Ross is officially, professionally, unequivocally now in the world of schooling.  The teacher side of me is jumping for joy with how fun it's going to be for him.  The mother side of me is running around sobbing about what happened to her baby boy, and mourning every day he gets older and bigger.  No wonder mothers cry all the time when they go to their children's first day of school.  We're crazy, emotional basket cases!

To stop me from putting on my black dress and mourning the rest of my life, I copied to the letter  borrowed my friend, Jana's, idea for a dinner party.  (Who can pass up a good dinner party idea I'd like to know.) 

I covered our table with rolled paper from our IKea easel, and taped it to our table as our tablecloth to draw on with our crayons, made and put up school decorations (insert teacher nerdy giggle), set the table places, and had fruit kabobs, corn on the cob, and grilled cheese (done the most delicious way - seriously - I always make them this way now), IBC rootbeer with straws, and Smarties to remind them they're smart!

Can you tell which fruit Ross prefers????

LOVE this sweetie - even with the crazy hair. :)

Ross was extremely excited for the party.  During dinner we discussed what fun things he will do in preschool, our own memories from preschool (I had Mrs. Walls, and loved the Little People Fisher Price Airplane - we didn't have it at my house, snack time, singing songs, and laughing at my friend Michael and playing with BJ and Holly - and coloring.  I would also wait on her porch with everyone while all the parents drove her HUGE U shaped driveway to pick us up.  Steve had Mrs. Maxwell and liked playing on the playground in the backyard.)  When Ross was asked what he was excited for - it was playing with the toys of course - getting some serious playing in.  Of course - haha.  

I love that Ruby and I are making the same face! ;) Like mother like daughter right? :)

Steve enjoying his rootbeer and Rowland trying to figure out how to have some too...

The aftermath

Afterwards, we had a Family Night Lesson about Priesthood Blessings, and Steve gave both Ross and Ruby their first blessings for school.  My soul warmed when I looked up to see Ross sitting on the stool, with his arms folded, eyes closed, and a reverent smile on his lips, holding perfectly still.  It was a beautiful blessing reminding Ross of his strengths and confidence, and encouraging him in his learning and making new friends.  Ruby wanted one too, of course, and was given a blessing of health, and encouraged in her learning and obedience.  She held SO still for it as well (which is a miracle for this girl).  It was a wonderful Family Home Evening.

At the end, The Magic School Bus left a present to remind Ross and Ruby to try their best and not worry about the rest, and to be colorful, trying new things this year.  They scored some new paints and a treat.  Woot woot!  It was a very successful dinner party/Family Night.

Today this boy started school.  He was SO excited and couldn't wait to get there.  Me - on the other hand - I was dragging my feet, not wanting to let him go.  I made a big scene deal taking his picture (mooching ANOTHER idea of him wearing this shirt for his first day of school every year), and walking him in to his class.  He didn't even bat an eye at me leaving.  Ruby moaned all the way to the car - mostly sad she couldn't stay too (I'm not sure I could take that as well!) and I felt a little lost going home without him.  
 

So I saw a friend post a picture of her little guy with a "Class of 2028" shirt on and about died and went to cuteness.  I, of course, had to mooch the idea and do it myself. :)

I can't imagine this boy being big enough to fill out this shirt!! (Also Ross's fingers by his eyes help them from getting the sun in them apparently.  It was pretty bright today.)

Another "Sun in my eyes" picture - ready for Pre-school!

Get going mom!

Walking in... (yes - I'm that mom)

Picture with his teacher, Mrs. Forbes.  Ross kept looking over at the toys worried someone was going to come take them. Haha.

When the time came to pick him up - he was a bursting little bee so excited about his day and everything he did.  His favorite part was, of course, playing with the toys, and they read one of my favorites - The Kissing Hand (I read that to my students every year when I taught school too).  It was pretty much a success.  Now I wonder if he realized he'll be going back the rest of the school year. ;)

How did he grow up so fast?  This boy is such a WONDERFUL firstborn to have.  He is sweet - that is the first thing I think of with him - he is a SWEET boy, he wants to be obedient, doesn't like seeing people unhappy, is an AMAZING responsible older brother - he takes that pretty seriously, he ADORES Rowland, loves playing chase with Ruby, loves to hoard toys - and can never have enough of them, loves counting things, playing Memory, playing airplanes or trains, hide-and-seek.  He wants to be independent with some things, but thinks he needs help with others.  He's my good eater - is motivated to eat what he thinks is gross so he can get to the treat after.  He loves wrestling his Daddy, the colors green and blue, reading books with mom, dad, grandmas and grandpas.  He likes watching Octonauts, Wild Kratts, and Big Hero 6.  He enjoys getting up in front of people if they're listening to what he has to say.  He is my sweet baby boy all grown up.  Love him!    

A Pretty Large Announcement....(no we're not having another baby yet - are you crazy?!)

Well family, friends, I'd like to officially announce that we have exchanged our club status to the golden membership.  That's right people.  We are now officially and forevermore (at least for this house) HOME OWNERS.  

It was QUITE the ordeal let me tell you.  It was a bit of an awkward start since the owners were wanting to sell this house we were renting at the beginning of the summer and asked us if we wanted to buy it.  I hadn't seen anything out there yet, and needed to do some searching.  I will just say - the housing market here in Lamar is a bit more of a unique experience than other places.  People don't really build here, and if they did - it's an arm and a leg to pay for it.  On the flip side - you also can buy some pretty decent sized older homes for a lot cheaper than you would think.  Most of the homes here are the 60's style - lots of storage space and about zero open space - and a lot of split level houses.  We saw A LOT of homes with some basic needs in mind: at least 4 bedrooms, basement, some space in the backyard, and at least a comfortable sized kitchen.  We found a lot of homes that had a few of those things, but the ones that may have had all of them were WAY out of our planned price range.  We came back to considering THIS house, because - it had all of those things and was even on the lower end of our planned budget.  We talked about it in the nick of time, because during all of this - our house was getting shown to people - sometimes 20 of them a day!  It was pretty stressful trying to find somewhere to live - especially if someone else were to buy this house before we found somewhere (because - let me tell you - there is NO WHERE to rent for a family of five).  Anyway - it turned in to a bidding war at the end with two other people, but thankfully - we won out in the end.

THEN it was on to the stress of paperwork and closing...

I'm sure I'm preaching to many choirs out there, but there were probably at LEAST five times throughout the process I was told that we were no where near closing or would have to extend it by weeks or months (at least not years though right??).  Being the if-I'm-not-satisfied-with-the-service-given-I-become-the-squeaky-wheel person that I am, I would immediately get on the phone (which is all I can pretty much do this far away from other civilizations) and leave voice messages, emails, or texts to whoever needed their hand held during the process.  

The last week itself was manic.  We had planned to close the 21st, but our appraisal hadn't been submitted, even though it was already done here three weeks before. (Insert hand hold and at least twenty phone calls and a threat of a three way call from me.) It got sorted.  I was told our loan company hadn't let the title company know it was still set for the 21st. (Insert hand hold). They communicated and got started.  I was told settlement statements hadn't been sent for approval. (Insert hand hold). Settlement statements were sent and approved.

Finally we knew in the afternoon of the 21st we could actually close.  (Thank goodness too, because the Bratts (the previous owners) traveled four hours down to sign the papers!

After everything was sorted out and signed between the sellers and buyers, Steve and I got to sign just about every piece of paper that exists here in Lamar committing to buying this house.  It was pretty crazy.  BUT, we did it.  

And now here I am, typing in MY home, looking at MY drapes I would like to replace, and MY kitchen I want to revamp, and MY closet that's going to get redone.  Now I just need $20,000 to decorate how I'd like (okay let's be honest - PAY someone to redecorate for me) and do the additions I'd like to add on. ;)

I love this house, and it is such a relief to finally be through all the limbo-ness of renting vs. buying.  That stuff is crazy stressful, and I thought it would be more fun!

Anyway - we're grown ups now - so you friends and family out there that thought we were just too immature to be associated with - well watch out! Because we are now just too immature to be associated with HOME OWNERS!  Boo-yah!

Signing the ball and chain. ;)

The last page - talk about hand cramps!  Look at us changing from kids to adults - in the blink of an eye too!

Pictures of our beloved house to come...    

A Few Happenings in Lamar

So we have been hanging out the last couple of weeks before Ross started preschool...

I know Ross did some little Joy School before - so this shouldn't be old news, but the preschool here is four days a week...it's pretty much half day kindergarten (which kindergarten is full day here as well).  The school teacher side of me gets INSANELY excited....and then the mother in me starts panicking about how fast this time came and how I won't just get him home to myself everyday until summertimes...EVER.  Wow - gotta stop talking about this - it's wrenching my heart.  My baby boy is growing up WAY too fast.  I better watch it - I'm going to blink and Rowland will be in college.  

Anyway - here's what we've been doing...

Backwards Hat Boys binging on some breakfast.

Growing Bubble beards: not as hard as you think...

Also...purple baths (I LOVE Rowland's chubby legs in the corner!!)

"Hiking" up Pike Tower (Yes we have a tower in Lamar) with Dad.

Dealing with the aftermath of some of these CRAZY thunderstorms that have been happening...

Ross earned The King racecar from the movie Cars - super happy.

Us regularly texting Daddy in regards to when he's coming home...this occurs on a daily basis.

They were supposed to be cleaning their room....I think they got together and brainstormed what would melt their mother's heart the most - looking at a book together.  Ross is educating Ruby on every truck and vehicle imaginable.

Nothing more attractive than a man in the kitchen...oh wait - a man wearing a Cat in the Hat hat in the kitchen!! (Fashion advice taken from Ruby)

Went to Ross's Preschool open house - guess what he found there?

Ross wanted to show Daddy his new shoes from Grammy and some money he found...

Brother feet - TOO cute (ignore my wrinkly grandma hand - had them my whole life).

And enjoying this cute chubby baby...who is also growing WAY too fast (and still doesn't have the hang of sitting up - haha!)