Always a surprise

We all know that kids say the funniest things.

Just yesterday I asked the boys about their future plans. In the past, we've said things like, "You want to be a doctor, don't you?" And they'd say yes.

But this time, I just posed the open-ended question, "Boys, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

Silence.

Uh oh. Does that mean we've failed already????

I asked Jason, "Do you want to be a TV reporter?
He said immediately. "OH NO!!!"

The passionate response surprised us a bit. I pressed on.

"Well, what do you want to be then?"

Jason shot back, "A car mechanic."

He just helped Doug change the oil in the car over the weekend. Talk about an influence.

Michael, not to be outdone, piped up, "I want to make coffee."

Coffee?

Doug and I don't even drink coffee. I believe all those times helping Grandma and Grandpa brew a cup of joe really had an impact.

We went to the library today to find books on our children's new interests. And, you know, they just don't have books for kids on how to make coffee. We had to settle on a book on how to make cookies. Yum.

Please, wish our little barista and our automotive technician the best of luck.

In the meantime, say hello to our Little Man.



He's just chilling out.

Poker face

It is nice to know, that even at the ripe old age of 3 months, Baby Joshua can take part in our family fun.



Last night, he had a seat at one of the boys' nightly poker matches. His poker face helped him out with this hand. He was so nonchalant. You can see two queens were clutched in his little fist.

Relief???

I'm almost afraid to write this, but, here goes.

I think the baby is starting to sleep through the night.
He turned twelve weeks old last Friday.

We normally put him down around 9 p.m. He stirs around 4:30 a.m., but fully wakes up, ready to tackle the day around 6:30 a.m. or so.

We are so proud of him.

He is also starting to roll himself over, which he doesn't like that much. I'll put him on his stomach, he'll start to cry, and he'll roll himself onto his back, which makes him even madder.

More updates to come!

Busy with the boys

Our first baby is growing up.



Baby Joshua was a little fussy this afternoon.
He was crying in his crib, trying to settle himself to sleep.
Today, Jason offered to quiet the baby down, by singing to him. And it worked, which surprised and thrilled all of us.

Of course, I'm not sure if it cancels out what he told me he did last month.

He said, "Mommy, I found Baby Joshua's soft spot, but I didn't push it very hard."

We examined the baby the best we could after hearing that statement.



We've been blessed this summer with plenty to do and plenty to see. He went to a birthday party this past weekend that allowed him to jump around on foam blocks to his heart's content.

We got to see Amah and Akong, who are clearly outnumbered. They tell me they had a nice time with all the kids, though.




And, I have so many pictures that look like this one. We just stare at the baby, hoping he will laugh.



And he usually complies. Right after this picture was taken, as a matter of fact.



Until next time, we hope you are finding ways to beat the heat!

He loves a good gift

On Friday, Baby Joshua will be three months old.

Where does the time go?



I'm happy to say that he is such a delightful baby. He isn't sleeping through the night just yet, but we know it will happen soon. In the meantime, his middle-of-the-night feedings give us a chance to chat! And, you know how much he loves conversation!!! I just realized that I forgot to share vitals from his two-month checkup. Back then, he weighed 10 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 22 3/4" long.

Our Little Man certainly enjoys a good gift, too. We just received this adorable stuffed bunny from Mr. and Mrs. Morgan. It has his name stitched on the ear. Joshua grabbed it, and you can see, he smiled for the camera with gusto. Thanks so much for the wonderful present!

Laying around

As you can see, Baby Joshua isn't doing much, other than laying around.




At least he's smiling through. And I'm thrilled that my handy photographers were around to capture the moments. The top picture is Jason's handiwork. And, the bottom one, snapped by Grandpa just last week.



I have failed to say a hearty enough thank you to our relatives for a wonderful week together. Kudos, truly, to cousins Ezekiel and Elijah, who have boundless energy and endless patience.



We already know Jason and Michael wouldn't have had such a good time without them. Jason has already said as much. We hope to see you all again soon! We love you!

Already hates to say goodbye

We've noticed that the baby enjoys a good chat.



While we had visitors over the last week, Baby Joshua was never alone for long. Between his cousins Ezekiel and Elijah, Grandma, Grandpa, Amah, Akong, and Uncle Tim, this little one got plenty of attention.

But, now it's back to normal, and he's not too happy about it.

Baby's baptism

He slept through most of it. We were thankful for that.



But when Joshua woke up, he was face to face with Father Jim, who was introducing the baby to hundreds of members of our church. Uncle Tim and the rest of us just watched.



After a dip in the holy water, our baby is now an official member of our church family.



And we had quite an occasion to celebrate. Thanks so much to our family and friends who marked this milestone with us.




The baby's big brothers were actually pretty good during mass.



But, here at the reception, Michael's look says it all. He and his cousin Danica had a good time, but you could tell they were looking for a way to get into some mischief.

Pleasant baby--Really

My mother asked me the other day why we don't have any pictures of the baby smiling. Funny, I thought we had some. Of the three kids, Joshua really has been the most outwardly pleasant (as long as he's been fed and had a nap) at this young age. 10 weeks old now, by the way!

I guess we just get so caught up smiling BACK that we forget to snap the picture.



This time, I took many pictures, and, to my surprise, he loved his turn in front of the camera. He smiled and smiled when the red light came on. Uh oh.



As for the Baby's big brothers, both are learning about feelings and taking responsibility.

As we sit down to dinner, as we head to the grocery store, while I'm folding clothes, Michael always wants to know, "Mommy, are you happy or sad?"

And, Jason--well, let's just say he picked up a phrase I hadn't heard in years.

He spilled some milk at dinner last night.

Out of his mouth pops out, "I'm sorry, Mommy. My bad."

Where did that come from?