Let Faith Arise: May 2018

It seems like a lifetime ago and yesterday all at once. Five and a half years ago our lives forever changed. After a difficult, and sometimes hopeless, road, that beautiful little word finally appeared for us. I remember tiptoeing downstairs so I wouldn't wake your daddy. I remember my shaking hands as I tried to open the test. And I remember this was the first test that didn't take what felt like a thousand years...it was almost immediately confirmed that it had finally happened. Pregnant!

Not only is today so special because it was the day we found out we would be parents, but it is your half-birthday too! I just love this day! So without further ado...

Wiley

You weigh 37.4 lbs and are 42.5 inches tall. I can't believe this tall, lanky, "little boy body," was once my three pound baby. We tease you often and ask you stop growing, but you are quick to remind us you can't, God wants you to grow. "But I always you baby, Mommy...even when I all big." Amen, sweet boy, amen!
Your mind fascinates me and I feel like I can often see the wheels turning. You love to invent things right now - putting legos and different toys together to create a new gadget. Each new invention is dramatically, and adorably announced / presented (thanks to the show Rusty Rivets!), "Introducing the _____9,000!"
You are a puzzle whiz! Ry's nap was going long yesterday, so I introduced you to a 100 piece puzzle, knowing you'd be up for the challenge! Together we completed the puzzle and you want to keep it on display to show everyone your hard work.
You love letters and numbers. You can write your first and last name by yourself now, along with several other letters. You know the sounds of many letters and like to identify words that start with those letters. (This has become a fun dinner game - figuring out what letter each different food on your plate starts with!) Your math brain really amazes the teacher in me though. You can quickly add numbers between 1 and 10, you count to 29 with correct one-to-one ratio, and can already compare which numbers are greater or less than.
You are beyond social and put your shy, quiet Momma in awkward situations with strangers constantly. A quiet, polite wave is the most I'm willing to give to a neighbor or someone I don't really know. You, on the other hand, are shouting, "Hello!" and trying to make the sweetest small talk with any and everyone.
Knowing you are so social, it may go without saying, but this deserves another bullet...you LOVE to talk! If we let you, you would talk non-stop for an entire car ride (...no matter the length of the car ride!!). This week we went to the zoo and you filled nearly every one of those thirty minutes with commentary, questions, and sometimes just narration of what we were seeing out the window. The more excited you are about something, the louder and higher your voice gets too. Being that you are a passionate little bug, that means your voice is typically pretty loud and pretty high pitched : ) Learning to control that passion has been something you've been working really hard on. When you have a thought, you want to share it immediately...even if someone else is already talking. For a four year old, this can be a difficult concept. Thanks to the help of some really great picture books though, we are super proud of how you are trying not to interrupt others and trying to control your voice.
You have taken over the role of dishwasher and I don't think anyone could be happier about this than me ; ) You even get offended if anyone else washes the dishes. I'm loving this new stage of more responsibilities....now how can I bottle this up and make sure it lasts through the teen years??
You love to be outside - especially if it means you are helping Daddy. You love to ride around on your bike and your Paw Patrol jeep!
You love to play t-ball with your brother too. This year you boys are playing on a real t-ball team. It has been entertaining to say the least! You have a great, powerful hit, but the real entertainment comes when you are in the field. When you want to, you have a great throw too, but often lose interest quickly out there. Sand castles with the dirt, drawings in the dirt, dirt piled inside your hat, picking flowers, "snow angels" made in the grass, ....we've seen it all! An hour of t-ball is about forty-five minutes too long for four year olds!
You are a wonderful big brother. You love and protect both your siblings fiercely. I'll often catch Char riding around in your Paw Patrol jeep with you, your arm around her shoulder hugging her close to keep her safe. You love to pick her up and carry her away from danger. You love your brother too - letting him tickle your thumb or hugging and snuggling up with him. You both get along so well (you have your moments - but the good definitely outweigh the bad). You are truly best friends and like to do mostly everything together.

Ryan

You weigh 31.8 lbs and 41.5 inches tall. Our little Skinny Minny who loves to eat, but can't seem to put a pound on!
You have an incredibly vivid imagination! We don't know if half the things you say truly happened in reality or simply in your mind. We are also often assigned new names to help shape your pretend world. When playing "Rusty Rivets," I am no longer Mommy, but suddenly become Botosaur. I think we went through an entire day without you calling me Mommy. "Botosaur, can I have some milk please?"
You love letters and numbers. You can write your first and last name by yourself now, along with several other letters. You are beginning to learn many letter sounds and try to identify words that start with those letters. (This has become a fun dinner game - figuring out what letter each different food on your plate starts with!) Your math brain really amazes the teacher in me though. You can quickly add numbers between 1 and 10, you count to 29 with correct one-to-one ratio, and can already compare which numbers are greater or less than.
You are beyond social and put your shy, quiet Momma in awkward situations with strangers constantly. A quiet, polite wave is the most I'm willing to give to a neighbor or someone I don't really know. You, on the other hand, are shouting, "Hello!" and trying to make the sweetest small talk with any and everyone.
You are incredibly competitive and have been for awhile now. (I have tried to hide this trait in myself from you, so that you don't turn out quite as crazy as me...but somehow you have inherited it anyway!) It can be so intense, that often you will try to quit in the middle of a game if you are going to lose. You know you have to finish a game now though, and push through...trying to teach you that it's not about winning, but having fun.
You love to be outside - especially if it means you are helping Daddy. You love to ride around on your bike and your Paw Patrol jeep!
You love to play t-ball with your brother too. This year you boys are playing on a real t-ball team. It has been entertaining to say the least! You can really hit the ball and have a great arm too. It's been neat to watch you improve already as the season has gone on. What used to take several disjointed steps of field the ball, think about it, find first base, step, and throw, has now become a fairly fluid motion of fielding the ball and throwing to first. We have also witnessed sand castles with the dirt, drawings in the dirt, dirt piled inside your hat, picking flowers, "snow angels" made in the grass from you! You continue to ask when you will have a real game though (even though you've had at least ten real games already). When asked what you mean, you explain, "Where the guy you says, 'You out,' Mom? He go to a real game." Oh my competitive child, you want an ump, calling people out at a t-ball game!
You are a wonderful big brother. You love to protect Charleigh and keep her safe. You are fiercely protective of your brother. You won't take anything without confirming Wiley will get one too. I love that he is your best friend and I know he will always be taken care of if you are around.