Devon is 9 months-old!

It's almost hard to believe that we have had her in our family for that long. She is growing like a champ and learning many new things.

I may have mentioned this before, but Devon is cutting 4 teeth at once right now. She certainly doesn't act like it, though. She's only really cranky when she wants food, and even then she doesn't cry. She just makes loud noises, really loud noises.

Devon is rolling and rolling everywhere! It has worked pretty well for her to get to where she wants to go. She hasn't mastered sitting up on her own yet, but she is improving. Devon can get up on all fours, so Chris and I think she may be crawling soon.

She had a doctor's appointment last Wednesday. Here are her stats:

Weight: 15 lbs. 15 oz.
Length: 28.25 in.
Head Circumference: 17 in.

She is a long and skinny girl. The doc wants me to take her to the laboratory to get her checked for anemia (she was once anemic) and possible jaundice. He said her skin color looks a little "squash-y" like if she'd loved to eat lots of carrots or squash. She does eat carrots but not that much! Other than that, she looks healthy and strong.

Thanksgiving & Such

This Thanksgiving, our family hosted a dinner at our house with my parents and my brother. We decided to do all of the cooking (we've hosted a potluck-style dinner before), and we were a little nervous about it. We planned what to cook, how to prepare it, and what to cook when. It turned out really well. Chris did most of the cooking (compliments to the chef!), and I did most of the cleaning as we went along. By the time dinner was at the table, the kitchen wasn't a mess! The dinner itself was excellent: turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, cheesy carrots, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and rolls (to be covered with turkey gravy, if we so desired.) We bought apple and pumpkin pie for dessert, and my mom brought over her famous pumpkin cookies. It was delicious! We shared a great day with great food and lots of laughter. I only regret not getting any pictures. That's OK. I still have the memories.

The next day, I did not do Black Friday shopping. Last year, I was pregnant trying to figure out how to get the KitchenAid food processor I wanted to the check-out counter. I ended up getting stuck in a mosh pit of people by the cheap movies. Yeah, it was an adventure for certain. This year, however, Chris and my brother went to Wal-Mart to get some stuff at its midnight sale and came back with some great DVDs and a few family gifts.

But Saturday, Micah helped me put up the Christmas decorations as we listened to Christmas songs on the radio. It was pretty fun. Since it was Micah's first time helping me...actually, I don't think we had a tree up since Chris and I's first Christmas together...it was a little frustrating for me at times. He loved playing with the lights and ornaments. Pushing that aside, I still enjoyed my time with him, and I hope he did, too.

Before the snow falls...

...the leaves fall from the trees.

A few weeks ago, I was out with my kids in our backyard. The weather was mild, but the wind was blowing fairly hard. (I'm glad we went out, because lately the temperature has been freezing. The high today was 40 degrees! For us, that's cold, too cold to go out!) Most of the leaves had fallen, and Micah and Paige enjoyed to the fullest throwing the leaves, diving into the leaves, making piles of leaves, and so on.
The leaves swirled everywhere, and then most of them ended up in our neighbor's yard, even after I asked Micah not to throw the leaves by the fence.
Paige didn't throw them so much as she did dump them.

It was tons of fun watching my little ones. If we want to go out again soon, then it's time to buy some really-cold-weather gear so we're not stuck indoors for the next few months.

On a different note, Chris and I discovered that Devon is cutting 4 top teeth all at once! That's the most I've had with any of my kids. She is hardly cranky at all, so if I didn't actually look for the teeth, then I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. She will be 9 months old in about a week. Wow.

Halloween

Last Halloween, the kids got a massive amount of candy from 2 Trunk or Treats, and they also went trick-or-treating on Sunday. There was a lot more candy than last year, because Paige joined in the quest of collecting the sweets. (I wish I had a picture of the candy in our biggest bowl.) Micah decided to be Thomas the Tank Engine. Paige was a princess, and Devon followed the tradition of being a Tootsie Roll. Chris and I were gangsters. Speaking of that, Micah sort of looks like a gangster in the bottom picture the way his hat is.

What's That In Her Mouth?

Devon is getting her first two teeth in! And now, I am wondering how long I will continue nursing her.

My 6-month-old Baby

Devon is 6-months-old as of the 11th of this month. Wow! That came up quick! She went to her doctor's office for a check-up. You know what's coming next.

Weight: 13.15 lbs.
Length: 27.5 in.
Head Circumference: 16 in.

Physically, she is doing very well. I've started feeding her solids. (She does not like rice cereal.) She still has a bit of the preemie head (more flat on the sides), and she is still wearing 3-6 month clothes. Small, yes, but she is so loud! Holy crud! She doesn't cry; she just gets our attention by making loud noises. She started out as my quietest, but she definitely also took the opposite title. It's her way of saying, "Hey! I'm here! Pay attention!" All right, I think, as I scoop her up and see a big smile on her face. I'll post pictures of her (and the other kids) as soon as our camera gets new batteries.

They're still growing!

Yesterday, I had a WIC appointment to re-certify Micah and Paige. WIC updates their records by measuring the kids every 6 months. Here are their stats:

Micah
Height: 40 3/4 in.
Weight: 35 lbs. 10 oz.

Paige
Height: 34 1/2 in.
Weight: 26 lbs. 3 oz.

For both of them, their height is about average and their weight is a little below average. There you have it. Healthy kids.

Micah has become quite the chatterbox in the presence of family and friends. It's a challenge to be patient with that sometimes, especially when he constantly asks "Why?". I thought for awhile he was past that stage but apparently not. I'm glad, though, that he is so inquisitive. Encouraging him to ask questions will help him develop a love of learning.

Paige is quickly learning new words. In the book If You Give a Moose a Muffin, she can point and tell me all the things in the scenery the moose makes for his puppet show. She loves to sing "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam," and she'll sing the alphabet song with Micah in the store. If you listen carefully enough, you can catch her even counting to ten. Today, she saw me play "This Little Piggy" with Devon's toes, and afterward, she tried to do it as well. I have to admit, that made me giggle.

Devon turned over from her back to her stomach for the first time today! It was so good to see her learning. I often wonder how Devon will develop, because she was a preemie. But, she seems to be doing alright. Overall, things are going great with the kids.

Sleeping

For about a week, Paige has been sleeping in her new bed, a toddler bed. As is usual, she loves to get out of bed and walk around. Comparing frustrations, I feel as though I get less upset with Paige than I did with Micah in the crib-to-bed transfer. Either I'm becoming more patient or Paige is just easier to deal with. Maybe neither. Maybe I've just found a better way of teaching Paige about using the bed. In any case, it's going pretty well. Some nights are better than others, but that is to be expected.

Continuing on the subject of sleep, Micah is officially not required to take naps. A few weeks ago, I was having a hard time getting him to take his naps. Since then, I figured he is at that age where he really doesn't need to nap anymore. So, instead of sleeping after lunch, (after I put the other two kids down) I give Micah Classroom Time. For half an hour, I teach him things he should learn prior to enrolling in Kindergarten. One day, it's numbers. The next day, letters. Another day, shapes, etc. After that, he is allowed to play quietly in his room while I (try) to get stuff done. The past couple of days, however, he has snuggled in bed of his own free choice and slept. I try not to let him sleep for too long, though, or it will not be easy for him to bed down at night. If he does decide to take a nap (of which I do not object,) he gets Classroom Time after. Pretty soon, we will buy some safety scissors and have him practice cutting paper. Ooo, scary!

Micah had his 4th birthday!

That's right! I am a mother of a 4-year-old! Micah is funny, sneaky, wild, active, considerate, and smart. He has also been known to unleash a monster of a temper at times, but we are working on that. We are actually also working on preparing Micah for Kindergarten. The school district in Clever has a waiting list for Preschool, and the daycare in town has an expensive Preschool program. So, he is being schooled at home until next year. We are teaching him how to recognize numbers and letters (not just say them,) his name, shapes, and how to use scissors. He'll also need to be able to completely go to the bathroom on his own, which he has done lots of times. Now, for our sleep's sake, he also needs to learn how to do that at night, too! As is normal, he's afraid of the dark, and yet, it's funny how he will walk all the way to our bedroom (on the opposite side of the house from his bedroom) to have company while he is using the potty. He can stand right outside his door, turn his head 90 degrees to the right, and there is the bathroom! Like I said, it's funny.

Micah had his birthday on Sunday, the 18th. He received a pair of Lighting McQueen pajamas, a race track, a booster seat for the car (he no longer needs a car seat!), a toy monster truck, and a Handy Manny plush toy. We ate over at Grandma and Papa's for a birthday dinner, and the dessert was a race car birthday cake. He loved it! He said that he had a happy birthday, so I'm glad about that. Every mother wants their child to have an awesome birthday.

Devon's Stats

Our little miracle is doing amazingly! Last week, she had her 4 month appointment, and here are her current stats:

Weight: 12 lbs.
Length: 25 in.
Head Circumference: 15.25 in.
Overall: She is developing well. For her length, she is actually in the 75th percentile! Great news considering she was born 7 weeks early! She is a little behind on some of her motor skills, but with preemies that is to be expected or at least accepted more. My favorite discovery lately has been her random smiles. She is too precious!

Is Paige a "Terrible Two" Toddler?

Nah. She's not terrible, but she can scream really high and loud if something doesn't go her way.

Paige is now a two-year-old! Her birthday is on June 27th, but we celebrated it the week before so the whole Crosby family could have a party. She received two books, a bubble wand, a pair of pajamas, a swimsuit, a baby doll, and her absolute favorite, a Perry the Platypus plush toy. Her (and Micah's) favorite cartoon is Phineas and Ferb. She lights up every time we turn it on. Perry is with her every night. :)

Paige had her doctor's appointment today. Stats are below:

Height: 33.5 inches
Weight: 26.2 lbs.
Overall: She is doing great! She says more words and phrases every few days. She LOVES the dirt. She likes to climb on me when I am nursing Devon. Chris and I wonder if she will be a tomboy, especially since Micah is the older sibling and plays with her.

Speaking of Micah, he finds rude actions to be funny. Like spitting or not listening to me. Yes, he'll laugh when he spits at me or laugh and run away when I'm trying to talk to him. Ugh. Today, he got a lollipop from his aunt and uncle. But, I told him he couldn't eat it until after lunch. He went to his Papa and asked if he could eat it. Papa came to me to ask, and I said, "No, not until after lunch." The matter is settled, right? We are driving home after Paige's appointment when I hear a crunching sound.

"Micah, are you eating that lollipop?" Nothing.

"Micah, are you eating that lollipop?" Nothing.

With more feeling, "Micah, are you eating that lollipop?"

"Yes..."

I pull the car over, take the lollipop away from him, and say, "You are not getting anymore of this lollipop, because you did not listen!" Of course, he is upset. I know, because later on down the road, he yells, "Mom, Phineas and Ferb, now!" (He means he wants to listen to the soundtrack.) Um...excuse me?

"No, not until you ask nicely."

Sigh... "May I please have Phineas and Ferb, please?" (He always says "please" twice.)

"Yes, you may. Thank you for asking nicely." Sigh... Will they always be like this?

The Latest on Devon

Devon is a whopping 11 lbs. 4 oz. and about 22 inches long. The young women at Mutual last night were laughing over her chubby leg rolls. (I was recently called to be the Beehive Adviser. And I just realized how weird that must sound to someone not Mormon.) Devon's cheeks are getting pretty chubby as well. It's amazing to see how much she's grown already, but she still has a long way to go. What a trooper!

Devon is a very pleasant baby. She cries only when she wants to be fed or be held. She can hold up her head when she lies down on her stomach, and she also sleeps through the night (right now). Although it seems I have more interactions with Micah and Paige, I do try to read to her when I feed her and hold her when we play outside. She's fun for me.

Balancing 3 kids, a husband, and a house is a lot of work. Plus, I'm trying to give myself more "me" time by picking up old hobbies or working out. Or blogging for that matter. It's a process figuring it all out, but I feel like I'm slowly getting there. I hope I do, because something like that is important to me.

Some Accidents Don't Just Happen

A few days ago, Micah told me after going to the bathroom that he peed on our cat. Ooo-kay, I thought, Maybe he's just making up a story like he sometimes does. A few minutes later, I find our cat, Joey, wet. Now I'm thinking, Well, maybe Micah just poured water on him. Later in the day, I found a huge section of Micah's comforter wet. I pushed the bed away from the wall to find a drip line. Finally, I take further measures and smell the bed. Sure enough, it was pee.

"Micah Adam Crosby! Did you pee on the cat?"

"Yes..."

"You are in so much trouble!"

After putting the comforter in the washer and cleaning the cat the best I knew how, I talked to Chris later that day and told him the frustrating story. He agreed Micah should have been in big trouble, but he also said,

"You have to admit, it is kind of funny."

I smiled and said, "Yeah, it is."

Micah's Silly Quote

Micah decided to play with his sports water bottle (filled with water) by putting his hand in it. Well, his hand got stuck, and he was making a mess trying to get his hand out. Paige decided to play with the water mess he created, and here's what Micah said:

"Paige Adam Crosby! Do not play in the water!"

He must think "Adam" is a universal middle name. This bout of sillyness made my day. (Oh, and Micah did get his hand out of the water bottle all by himself, which he followed up by saying, "I am so strong!")

Devon is finally a newborn!

Our little daughter is out of the "premie" stage and is now graduated to being an infant! It's strange to think that she is already 2 months old, but she is just now at the physical stage of a newborn baby. For that reason, our doctor told me not to be surprised if she is also behind in the other areas of development. Still, she is growing well, and below are her stats from her doctor's appointment last week.

Age: 2 months
Weight: 7 lbs. 12 oz.
Length: 21 1/4 in.
Head Circumference: 14 in.

Devon is even tempered, I think, until it comes to a really full diaper or a really empty stomach. She is very alert when awake. I read to her when I feed her; she benefits from that even at her age. I've also started nursing her! Before, I was pumping her milk and giving it to her in a bottle. Last week, I thought I would try nursing her, and she took right to it! Now, I don't have to pump all day just to feed our baby, only on occasions where I need food for a babysitter. That made me very happy!

Oh, and one more thing to note. Chris and I almost regret spelling her name with an "o" instead of an "i". We were told that spelling with an "o" is most common for girls. However, there have been a few times already when someone pronounced her name "Dev-ON", not "Dev-IN". I hope I don't have to correct people (in a subtle way) too often. :)

Playing in the Backyard

We recently had a fence built around our backyard. According to our subdivision covenants, if we were to have a fence, it would need to be a 6 ft. privacy (wood) fence. It is finally done, and now our kids can play in the backyard without running off too far. I can easily keep my eye on them whether I'm outside with them or inside the house. Below is a picture of the kids getting dirty. (Paige is the little speck by the fence.)

Our cutie is covered in dirt! Oh well. Let them be little.








This handsome little man is also covered in dirt. And later, he tracked it into our house!






Devon is doing very well. She eats, sleeps, and poops. She is not too difficult to take care of, but I am always watching her to make sure she is okay. It seems as though she is growing; I know her appetite is! I will have more stats on her later, after her next doctor's appointment which is the first week in May.

Our little miracle. She is such a joy and blessing. And I guess the other kids are, too. :) Just kidding!





Wow, I can't believe I have three kids. Three wonderful, awesome, amazing kids. That many children and a house is a lot of work and responsibility. Chris and I are a great team, though, so we handle it well. At least I think so.

Our Little Miracle

On March 9th, I had a little accident. Around 1:30 p.m., my water broke. I was doing some cleaning after getting the kids to nap. In the middle of my duties, I felt some leaking, more than a normal accidental amount.

That's strange, I thought.

So, I went to the bathroom and pulled up my pants only to feel more leakage afterwards.

Something's not right, I continued.

After another round of leaking, I called my doctor's office. I left a message and called Chris who also did not answer me right away. While I waited for a response, I kept cleaning, hoping it was no big deal. The doctor's office called me back, and after I had explained the situation, they told me to go to Labor and Delivery to determine if my water broke. Chris called me right after I had talked to the doctor's office and came over to the house as soon as he could. I was only babysitting Easton that day, and he was picked up not too long after Chris arrived at the house. I normally watch him and Enzo on Tuesdays, but since Enzo's grandparents were in town, I didn't have to watch him that day. It's the only Tuesday I haven't watched Enzo! Similar situations and blessings have followed us along the journey.

Chris and I dropped our kids off at Grandma and Papa's, and then we hurried over to Labor and Delivery. It was confirmed that my water broke, and I would be spending all of my time at the hospital until Devon was born. My OB/GYN said it could be 24 hours or 24 days, nothing was really certain. After 2 ultrasounds and 2 days in the PCU, my doctor and a neonatologist determined that Devon should come soon. Although she had a good heartbeat, she absolutely would NOT move during each ultrasound, even after much poking and prodding. Between the ultrasounds, I had a contraction (which I didn't happen to feel), and Devon's heart rate actually dropped. So, it was determined that I would need a C-Section to give birth to our little girl; that way, we wouldn't be stressing her out.

On March 11th, 2010, at 12:18 p.m., Devon Crosby was born. She weighed 4 lbs. 13 oz. She's been in the NICU ever since but doing well. She doesn't need assistance breathing. She is now able to bottle feed, which I have done with her twice now. Chris and I do our best to see her at least once a day, usually in the evenings when she is scheduled for a feeding. She is our little miracle, and we are now an awesome family of 5! Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers!

And they grow, and they grow...

Last Thursday was a busy day of appointments but also accomplishments.

My OB/GYN appt. at 1:00: Our future baby girl, Devon, is doing quite well. She measured at about 4 lbs. and looks and sounds healthy. The ultrasound technician tried to get a picture of her face, but she wouldn't move her hand away. Still, we are looking forward to seeing what she looks like after she is born.

The kids' WIC appt. at 3:00: Nothing too exciting. Just re-certifying them in the program. I'm grateful for WIC as it helps with grocery expenses. :) Here are some stats for Micah and Paige:

Micah weighs 34.6 lbs, and he is 39 1/2 inches tall.
Paige weighs 23.2 lbs, and she is 31 5/8 inches tall.

I was hoping Micah would be somewhere near 40 lbs., so we could get him a booster seat for the car. But, he still has quite a ways to go. Paige is a lightweight as well. Her cousin, who is 9 months younger, is only about 2 lbs. lighter! Crazy!

Paige's doctor appt. at 4:00: The most frustrating part of the day was around this point. My WIC appt. went on and on. I called the doctor's office around 3:45 to let them know she would probably be late. Finally, the WIC appt. concluded and overlapped Paige's other appt., and I was rushing the kids to go across the street where I thought the doc's office was. Well, it turns out they had moved...to the building I had just come from! So, I scrambled them back into the car to go to where I had once just been. We were 45 minutes late, and I was pretty panicky. I did NOT want to make another appt.! So, I rushed to the check-in desk to find out...

...that since I had made that phone call, they were expecting me late, and I could still keep Paige's appt. Thank goodness! I was so relieved that even Micah running around and not listening to me didn't bother me. :) Lesson learned: When scheduling appointments, do NOT set them only an hour apart, even if they are both in the same building.

What happens after the kids go to bed.....

I know what all of your are thinking...  And I wish it was true..  but the truth of the matter is.  Once the kids go to bed at 8:30 we start the list.  Yes the list that consists of all the chores around the house that are impossible to do with kids under your feet.

Last night...  Hang pictures
Tonight... Change kitty litter and burnt out light bulbs, start laundry... you get the point.

Once we get our projects done, Jen and I try to spend some time together by watching TV or a Movie ect.  When I say Jen and I... I really mean, me.  Once the show starts you only have to wait 5-10 minutes and Jen is OUT COLD!  Trying to get her to wake up afterwords is like getting Sarah Palin to say something intelligent.  

Tonight for example, I love Ghost Hunters and Man Vs Food.  They are both on TV Wednesday nights.  Those are our Wednesday night shows.  We site down to watch and 8 minutes later...  Jen is sawing logs.  Man Vs Food was a rerun, but we both wanted to watch how they make a sandwich that has Fried Chicken, Onion Rings, Mozzarella Sticks, Potato Wedges, Hamburger Patties, and to top it off..  Mac and Cheese!  (I will post pics when we make it)  I woke Jen up to help me remember the ingredients so we can make it some day.  She said she was awake.  They constructed the work of deliciousness and I turned to Jen who was asleep again.  Like any good husband..  I woke her up and said "Hey!  What was on the sandwich?"  She looked at me and said, "Mac and Cheese" then feel back asleep..  It was pretty funny.

Needless to say, Jen turns into a zombie after 9pm.  She will look you in the eye and promise she will stay awake and in the same breath fall asleep.  I have seen her do it.

Hello 2010!

After reading my friend e's blog today.  She called me a LAME-O!  I realized I do need to blog more often. It's the start of a new year and I'm going to blog my little heart out. 

I have several goals for this year.  I always talk big, but this year I am going to live big.  I guess it shouldn't be to hard..  I am a pretty big guy.

Goals for 2010
1. Write and preform a stand-up comedy act.
2. Lose 60 pounds (I hope before my 10 year high school reunion)
3. Take a picture everyday.
4. Blog at least twice a week.
5. Be a better Dad and Husband.

I am going to work hard on doing these things, and I plan on reporting to everyone in my blog posts on how I am doing. 

When I was in school, we were given a project to do a week long photo journal.  I kept it here on my blog.  I am going to do a photo journal one week out of every month.  I love photography and feel like I am good at it.. but I have not been able to do much after college.  No more excuses!  Be looking for that first post starting next week.