Babies to Boys

My brother Peter and my sister Emily both had their first darling, squishy, pink, cute, soft babies this December. They live in Missouri, so I have done my best from afar to send older sister/mom-of-4 advice and encouragement.

I remember what a shock that first newborn baby was, so that's why I've been checking in on them a lot. But, JB and I figured it out together, and my siblings are doing so great.

It's fun to see their new-parent discoveries about the wonder of new babies, like they each are the first parents in the world to ever experience this. I giggle, but it's helped me realize again how each child is a gift. Milestones and discoveries are still thrilling, even with fourth baby boys.

He has started doing this squishy-faced smile on demand. He especially does it when Ben asks him.

He wants to be big.

But he still wears onesies and has those adorable baby bowlegs.

And he must be kept at all costs from getting into the boys' bigger Lego sets and creations. So, in our house, the baby gate doesn't protect the stairs anymore, it protects the big boys' closet. 

But to the big boys' chagrin, Andrew can climb over and help himself to their Legos. He likes to do this while they are at school.

How quickly it feels JB and I went from holding a newborn baby Max, to now having four growing boys. Max is 9 1/2 and snowboards and does science fair projects. Benny went to the Baptismal fireside Sunday night. I'm getting the paperwork done for Andrew to be enrolled in preschool.  I really really don't want them to grow anymore.

Jr Jazz

Max and Benny Ben are on Jr Jazz basketball teams again this winter. This time each team has a practice time on weeknight, plus a game on Saturday. We are getting serious, folks. But most Saturdays their games overlap at different venues, so we switch off which parent is going to which game with which littler brother in tow.

Last Saturday, we all got to attend Ben's game together. 

James's favorite word is "bas-KIT-ball!" Another favorite word is "BAS-ket-ball," and finally, he also likes to say "bas-kit-BALL!" Each for different uses and excitement levels.

He kept trying to pick up two basketballs at once, and go out on the court to play.

Andrew, on the other hand, thought that a basketball game is a perfect opportunity for a nap on the floor. All that white noise.

James thinks turnabout is fair play, after all the times Andrew poked at him while he napped as a younger baby.

JB isn't coaching either boy this year, but he has plenty of advice and encouragement during rest periods.

Snowsports

JB is a good snow-sport (see what I did there?) 

He went snowshoeing with Max on a 4th grade field trip this week in one of our canyons (thanks to Nona for babysitting that morning!).

He took the boys sledding recently at Sugarhouse park and, can you believe this guys, everybody had a good time! Everybody meaning our new 4-year-old Andrew. No crying, no whining, all fun!

Andrew's face got rather chapped, but look at the cutie-pa-tootie:

He carried the sled back up the long hill, too.

Max is getting taller and stronger every day.

And my Benny (who told his new church teachers on Sunday, "It's BEN"), also had a great time. Probably because I wasn't there to knock him over like last year.

I mean, look at this good daddy. 

Max took that picture. Not bad! I like this hill, because it's very long and gradual and not steep and there are no trees.

Speaking of sledding, how cute is this post of the cousins from almost 4 years ago? I had forgotten about it.

New Years Eve 2014

Our friends the Peters invited us over for a party, and boy did we party.

We don't have video games at our house, so our boys were ecstatic while playing the new Mario Kart, though I think Andrew caught on that his controller didn't work.  James went up and down the stairs and grabbed any of the yummy food within his reach. JB and I talked and laughed with our friends.

We stayed until almost 10:30 PM.  It was close to 11 when the boys were tucked in bed. This is considered very late for us!

We are an early-to-bed, early-to-rise family. I've blogged in the past about my inability to stay up til midnight on New Year's Eve.  I'm just like my mom when I was growing up. She didn't work in the early AM like I do, but she always had a new baby keeping her up at night. I didn't have to work the next morning, but I knew my boys -- especially Benny. As soon as he sees that 7 on the clock, he bounds out of bed and tells Andrew and Max it's time to wake up.

So I changed their clock.

And we all slept in until 9 AM!  A new record.

You know when they are teenagers, we will be begging them to wake up on time.

In 2015, we hope to focus more on peace in our home. Peace among the brothers in how they treat each other, peace in how we parents react, peace in how we all feel about school and work and church callings and God's will and everything else.

Happy New Year!