Early Summer Update

I've been having tech issues for months now, limiting my access to our pictures and making it harder to post updates about the kids. If you're a family member on withdrawal, hopefully you're also on Facebook, which is much easier for me to update. Either way, here are some snapshots of our precious kiddos as they get ready to turn 5, 3, and...0.

They really are best friends in a brotherly way, which often involves tackling, no matter the setting. Amazing how quickly they figured out how to wrestle in the front seat of a grocery cart...

Aaron is in school every other day, plus our summer schedule has been pretty erratic, so I've done a very half-hearted job of introducing the potty to this sweet boy. Which is why I have to take some of the credit for his love of diapers - and begging me to put them back on his cute little behind...

Our third child is still pumping me full of nesting motivation, so I've been busy painting the playset, mulching the beds, reorganizing closets, filing & shredding, and most recently packing our hospital bag with brand new sleep clothes which I bought, at the mall, all alone (amazing!). I'm relishing that we're in the home stretch -- just 7 more weeks till we get to meet our newest family member!!

We hit the neighborhood pool at least once a week for Noah's swim lessons with a really fun instructor (thank you Aunt Christina!). He's making great progress, but mostly I'm just thrilled the boys love the water almost as much as I do.

We don't know exactly how this little man stays so little, as he's our first and last to eat on any occasion. Josh and I have found time and again since they were each born that Noah would rather play than eat (Josh's son) while Aaron would rather eat than play (my son). It's one of the few ways they are nearly opposite, though you'd never guess it from looking at the skinny-minnies.

The boys have a wonderful mother-daughter team of sitters who bring fun and love in spades - not to mention a kid-brother/playmate (good practice!). A couple weeks ago, they spent the morning excavating their toys from a sheet of ice. Who knows? Some day, we may be visiting them on Antarctica, and it'll be all the Gilmans' fault. ;)

We all love visitors, but Noah is especially eager for playdates, so he has been ecstatic to have some of our dear friends "sleep over" this spring (Yea Gimples! Andersons! Southerns!) - or more accurately, their kids sleeping over.

They really do hang on his every word or deed. No matter how much time he spends with us, they crave more. It's sweet and gut-wrenching all at once.

Noah wrapped up a great year at Mustard Seed with Ms. Elda and Ms. Elaine, who he already misses. Grateful he has one more year in this nurturing environ before he heads out into the big bad... I mean, before he starts kindergarten. ;)

In just the last couple months, Aaron has fallen in love with his blanket. He's always been a great snuggler, but it's pretty adorable to see him cuddling with this square yard of softness.

We've also gotten to see our girls cousins a couple times in the last month, and I think it has done our budding chauvinist a world of good to see how much he loves playing with them -- almost as much as he worships his boy cousins.

This year, Noah has decided he is part artist - probably not unrelated to his cousins' blossoming art skills. He was recently decorating his teacher's thank-you notes when he described the scene to Josh:  

Josh: Nice tree!
N: I'm gonna draw a coyote...
Josh: Ok.
N: ...peeing on the tree.

My mother's-day card. Love.

We've spent the last month passing around a cold that thankfully only affected each boy for about 3 days. But during those overlapping days, it was touching to see their solidarity. They were also both baffled that I couldn't just fix them immediately, though Aaron did often ask me to kiss the boo-boos in the back of his mouth and seemed a bit miffed that I opted out.

Bunk beds (thanks Grandma and Papa!)! After months of debate and research, we finally decided to give it a shot, so Saturday was Aaron's first night out of the crib and Noah's first on a top bunk. Josh spent the day assembling the beds & stairs while I moved out Noah's most fragile toys, coached Aaron on the ins-and-outs of big-boy-beds, and prayed they would get some sleep. To my everlasting relief, they have loved being together and have stayed mostly on schedule! NOW, we're really ready for a new little person to take up residence in the nursery! Hurray!