Addison Mae - 4 years, 5 months

This girl is the light of my life! Addie has been such a big helper and pretty flexible for a 4-year-old as we have navigated the last few crazy months. She was feeling very sad and emotional about leaving our old house (read: crying/screaming/rolling on floor as we said goodbye to it) but has transitioned to the new house really well. We lived with my parents for more than 2 weeks in between, over Thanksgiving, my birthday and my dad's birthday, and Jordan and I spent our evenings trying to get the new house "ready" so the kids would feel like it was home when we finally got here. Thankfully, it seemed to have worked as Addie declared it looked "just like my old house, with all our stuff!" She had a rough time sleeping in her own bed upstairs for the first couple of weeks, but finally seems to have acclimated. 

Addie loved everything Christmas, including looking at lights, seeing Santa, crafting, decorating the house and her room, seeing family, parties, etc. She asked Santa for a Rapunzel dress and accessories, and a Tiana dress and accessories, and he delivered. She loved doing the Advent candles every Sunday - and not surprisingly was often our reminder to do it! She loves to pray, and make up the most heartfelt, sweet prayers, which totally amazes me. (Brother's prayer: Thank you Jesus, vacuuming). 

We said very sad goodbyes to Mia, who has been sick for about six months. Although Addie knew it was coming as Mia had been living at the clinic for several weeks, it was still so difficult for all of us. She's my sweet, sensitive girl who loves her animals just like family. We've talked a lot about what Mia is doing and who she's with in heaven. 

Probably the most excitement for my girl is being a big sister, again. Weston is her baby, and she's totally in love. It's been a bit of a transition, and she's admitted that it's been hard for mom to have to be with the baby all the time, but she loves to hold him and help with him. She's also been a huge help with that other baby of mine, including lots of encouragement and praise for using the potty!

She loves school and has started to read Bob books at the encouragement of her teacher. I'm seriously amazed, although teaching a person to read is a little excruciating, y'all. Sometimes we just have to put the book down and move on. She loves preparing her word of the week each week. I love how into academics she is, but I'm trying to encourage more free play and outside play so my girl can exercise her silliness and just be a 4-year-old before every day school starts next year (I can't talk any more about it - I WILL cry).

Weight: 33 pounds
Length: 40 inches

 New things:

• Starting to write her lowercase letters.
• Reading! She is soaking it all up and is great at sounding out words. She also loves to memorize and recognize sight words. 
• Taking a break from organized activities (other than soccer!) for more free time and free play. And because mom has 46 children
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Likes:

• Time alone with mom or dad
• Pedis and manis. While she's constantly asking me to go back to "the spa" she's usually pretty content to let Grammie, Mimi or me make "a spa" at home. 
• Watching "Chip and JoJo" on HGTV
• Her Elf on the Shelf, Coco. She LOVED finding him every morning and especially loved when he brought her special milk from the North Pole.
• Crafting and artwork. I love that her teacher says she always gravitates towards this type of thing at school, too. My creative little one.
• Being the Handy Helper at school, which also means getting to be the line leader all day and being in charge of the calendar. I totally get it. I want to be the Handy Helper too.
• Bossing Hutch around and instructing exactly how and what they are going to play.
• Getting even better on her scooter. And being a regular daredevil gymnast on her new play set. 
• Helping a lot around the house, with laundry, setting the table, with dishes, feeding the dog, getting things for brother when he's crying. 
• Having a sleeping partner. Thankfully she's been mostly sleeping in her own bed, but she'd always prefer to have a partner ;)
• Being the Handy Helper at school. Also getting to bring home the Bear Bag, be the special helper in chapel or getting to recite the verse
• Baking anything.

Dislikes:

• Not being the Handy Helper
• Feeling left out at school. Being 4 is hard y'all
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Hutch Marshall - 2 years, 1 month

My sweet middle baby has experienced A LOT during the last two months ... including turning 2, moving into a new house, having a great Christmas, saying goodbye to his sweet kitty and becoming a big brother. It's been a lot, and he's taken most of it totally in stride. 

Hutch's personality continues to develop more and more, and it's safe to say he's a lot like his sister. He's very independent, unless he doesn't want to be, loves to be the center of attention, unless he didn't initiate it, loves to make people laugh and is entirely stubborn. He's also incredibly smart, funny and witty, he's sensitive and intuitive. Ornery is his middle name. 

Whatever Addie says or does, he says and does. He's wary of new things and experiences but is usually willing to try them if sister does. He's not as much of a people-pleaser as sister (read: doesn't listen as well as she does). He's currently very into NOT eating as his way of being in control of something in his little life. 

Weight:  27 pounds
Length: 26.5 inches

New things:

• Being a big brother. Hutch is surprisingly good with Weston and as careful and gentle as a bull-in-the-china shop 2-year-old can be. He loves to hold and kiss him, briefly. He loves to "help" with tummy time and is completely delighted when Weston looks at or touches him. Anytime Weston cries Hutch says "He wants you, momma" and he is well-versed in the world of breast feeding already. While in the crowded doctor's office last week, Weston started to fuss and concerned big brother declared, "He wants to eat from your nipples, momma. FROM YOUR NIPPLES, MOMMA!!!!" Today while I changed Weston's diaper Hutch was especially excited to see, "He has penis like me, momma!!"
• Vacuuming to his heart's content. Thanks, Santa, for coming through on what this little guy wanted for Christmas. 
• Using the potty. Never fails that when I bring home a newborn the toddler suddenly has an interest in the potty. He will go whenever we put him on the potty, and will often ask to use it ... but I think it has much more to do with the attention (and the reward M&M) than actually knowing he has to go potty. Still, he goes at least once a day. And that's plenty right now for this busy momma.
• Working on colors. Although Jordan declares in exasperation that Hutch MUST be colorblind, he does always get green right. 
• Narrating his life and everyone's life around him. He's constantly talking. Is it possible that he talks even more than Addie at this age??? He requires someone to respond every time he says anything and he prefers to say words and phrases approximately 247 times to be certain everyone in hearing distance has heard and understand him. 
• Singing all the songs from school, especially Chewy Chewy Chewy Chewy Bubblegum and We are the Dinosaurs. 

Likes: 

• Cars, trucks, tractors.
• Books. And going to the library. Currently Little Blue Truck, Bestest Nest and Johnny Tractor are his faves. Oh and of course Go Dog Go, which he can totally recite. 
• Coloring, especially if Addie is coloring. And play dough. 
• His new playroom with aaaalllllll the toys everywhere. 
• "Cooking" and "makin' food" in the play kitchen. "What you like today, mam?"
• More of an interest in TV and movies, which is both awful and wonderful. "I watch foo'ball Daddy." Favorite movie is likely Frozen, although he does love Toy Story, too.
• Having a "'pecial tweet" on the rare occasions he eats a good meal.
• Asking to go to a "westawant" ... although I think he just says this because Addie does!
• Umbrellas.
• Going up and down the stairs at the new house. 
• Playing outside. 
• Grammie.
• Going to school. Talking about school. Talking about his friends at school. Talking about his teachers. He especially likes when Grammie takes him and picks him up. "Mommy stay home"
• Daddy. This boy is such a Daddy's boy. He does really like me, but only when Daddy's not around ;) He has shown much greater interest in me, and wanted me to hold, cuddle and be with him more since this other baby came home.
• Playing with all sister's toys. Especially her dollhouse and baby dolls. 

Dislikes:

• Not getting a "pecial tweet"
• Not getting to hold momma when baby Weston is