We've moved....mostly

I have lots of posts to catch up on but have to get this one in before the month is over. We've moved!!!! Well as I say mostly. We still are renting our previous home for a couple more months and are commuting back and forth to finish a couple things there as well to make it perfect for our awesome landlords and any future tenants.We've moved our belongings to our new home or as I like to call it the Baker Family Home. My In-laws decided they wanted to purchase a home big enough for us to live there (we are paying them rent as well as helping out) for a few years (or more or less as life takes us) and various extended family to live and visit over the years. My MIL and I went on the house search and saw this home together and both fell in love at first sight. It's got a layout that would turn some away because it's really like 3 homes sewn together BUT for us this is the dream home! I won't go into too much detail on here but we're now living on a lake with gorgeous front and back yards, a pool, a hot tub, a small barn and outdoor stables, and a couple pastures for my SILs' horses when they're here (and maybe a kids' pony eventually). There's honey suckle bushes everywhere and a blueberry bush! And a barn cat named Peppi who's a sweetheart (I'll post on her later).

Anyway it's gorgeous and all of us are loving the fresh air and extended family unit while still having our privacy when needed too. It's really a blessing and a dream come true.

Just Keep Swimming

Yesterday we had our first swim in the new pool, which was K's first time in a pool ever. Today we went again. The kids all loved it. C was cautious at first but fearless in her attempts and so excited to be able to reach the bottom, practice some strokes, and blow bubbles to prepare for swimming on her own. J was more nervous at first and took more comforting along the way but soon was loving every minute and switched his hero obsession from Super Man to Aqua Man (while in the pool anyway). E is our fish. I've always said she should've been born in water. She loves baths and was this was even better. She squealed with delight while Daddy swam around with her on his back and once we climbed out tried to get back into the boat float to jump back in on her own (yep that one's trouble but definitely loves the water and continues to ask when we'll swim again). K didn't care so much. She was born in water but much warmer water so at first she just clung to me all snuggly and chilly. Later she got comfortable and laughed kicking her feet and splashing Mommy. She had a little fun in the little boat float as well and then laid back in the bigger boat float and actually fell asleep with the water rocking her (and Daddy's shirt wrapped over her).

Daddy and I both loved being back in the water. He's the swimmer but I had a lot of fun too, even though juggling four kids in floats, jackets, floaties, etc. (we have multiple types of each device as well lol) was......challenging, we all had a lot of fun and will be getting in again often. Fingers crossed for a long nice Summer to make the most of the new pool!

Here's one pic of the kids and I before we jumped in Saturday (Daddy took it). I will add more pics later of the fun and I'm sure will have more posts on swimming, lessons, fun, and safety in the weeks and months to come.

K's 1/2 year birthday :)

Today my amazing beautiful baby K/Rina Ruth/Bee is 6 months old! I can't believe it's already been 1/2 a year since her birth (at home) :) She's such a blessing and we love her so much, can't wait to see what the next 6 months (and years to come) have in store for her ♥

Today's big celebration for K was FOOD. We waited till 6 months on introducing solids (just as we did with E). We breastfed exclusively till now and plan to continue nursing with food just we will start working with a cup with water occasionally (same as E looks like K will be bottle free maybe).

I will add pics for this later on a separate post but K's first food was sweet potatoes (C was cereal which is worthless, J was sweet potatoes, E was apples). We expected K to just love it (as all the previous had), especially since she's been grabbing everything in sight and range to put in her mouth recently. But she wasn't impressed, even with big siblings being a bit overly helpful (and E showing her it tasted good and trying to share with everyone else too lol).

Later we tried bananas instead and that one K loves! I'm planning to try more baby led this time around with what fresh foods K gets to try since she's doing so good with grabbing food (and the spoon even) and pulling them to her mouth. We'll see how it goes.

Anyway
at 6 months K is:

-standing lots (and is so proud of it)
-sitting unassisted, climbing things, crawling super fast, nothing is safe if she wants it though K's favorite thing is Mommy ♥
-trying out taking steps! But the main practice seems to be if Mommy is hidden because if I come in she has to crawl to me as quickly as possible
-is  an expert crawler
-babbles lot and has been adding in Mama :) (first word : Mama!)
-has been exclusively breastfeeding 1/2 a year :) and just got her first "real" food today
-wearing size 9-12 months and sharing clothes with E a lot of the time
-still has her hair from birth but now has white blonde hair coming in under it!
-still has cobalt blue eyes that are so piercing and like nothing I've seen before
-Loves playing with her big siblings and getting extra kisses from E
-Loves to giggle while being tickled
-Loves to snuggle
-Sleeps through the night
-Has a sweet smile and personality all of her own, a bit quieter (with squeals of excitement thrown in) than the big sibs, but always wants to be in the action with all of us
-Seems older than 6 months a lot of the time in size and mobility but is so sweet and still has the baby snuggly moments that Mommy loves and treasures

(will add more pics later :))

Happy 19 months Sweet E!

We'll Laugh About This Someday

We'll laugh about this someday....right? I know I have tons to catch up on with Easter and lots of new developments in our lives (one being a move but that is another post for another night). Right now I just want to share the amusing moment we started the day with.

Yesterday the kids "borrowed" my phone and downloaded 2 paid ringtones. I realized it and C was way too proud of her technical prowess and I figured money down the drain yes but it happens easily fixed.

Fast forward to this morning, finding out after multiple important incoming phone calls that they also set my "Verizon Ringback Tone" to something my mom responded with as "What the Heck was that?!" and I now know is "Nicki Minaj" (hoping by the time my kids read this she will not have a "music" career, though LUCKILY one of the songs you can't make out the words versus another popular alternative). I got it off later but now it makes sense why the people who called me were very surprised they had the right number but this is one more of those moments I want to remember down the road when my grandkids are playing similar hijinks(aka payback) on my kids. :)

Promise to update/catch up soon. Now back to my house full of boxes and hopefully sleep. Hope everyone is doing well!

Easter 2012

We had a wonderful Easter half at the "old" house and half at what will soon be the new! (more details on that later). We had a cookout and egghunt. E was hilarious during the hunt especially. Every time a big sib found an egg she'd chase them yelling "Pleeeeeease" then throw herself down for a 30 second tantrum before spotting another egg of her own (or some other distraction). Keeping her honest E still found 10 which was the exact same amount C and J each found, not bad :) K got 2 eggs of her own (with Mommy and Daddy's help) and 2 were missing in action.

I tried an awesome red wine marinade on the steaks and Daddy grilled them out by the pool. With the other customary sides and fixins and Ami and Ibu's presence too it was all an awesome holiday :)

(will try and upload pics and update more later)

Teefers

Eeek Baker baby family record beaten, we have 2 teeth broken through for Miss K today :). E got her first two right after turning 6 months, C and J were 7 months or so. 

4/13/12 Edited to Add pics that give a glimpse of her new teeth (will be adding a couple more pics from same day in separate post)

K Standing Practice

If you've looked at the recent pics you've seen her working on this but got a phone vid today to share too. This is how J used to practice standing as well (squat to standing) vs. C and E preferred the climb and let go approach :) She does better without the dress but even that annoyance won't stop her practicing :P

Happy Birthday to my Mom/Ami

Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Amazing Incredible Mom! I am so blessed to have you as my mom, and my kids' grandmother. I thank God for you and love you Mom/Ami!

Trouble

Yep I'm in serious trouble. I laid K down in the living room and went to the kitchen to help the three big kids with post breakfast stuff. I heard the kitchen gate rattling like when E is there wanting a snack but E was in her highchair. To get there you have to go across the living room and through the hallway but when I go to the gate (really less than 5 minutes after putting her down) I see this lol....yep trouble