Atlas is Five!

Every year with Atlas until last year it felt almost impossible that he would already be a year older! Last year seemed right on point and this year I've been thinking he's already 5 for the last few months already. He's grown up a lot in the last year. His face has lost that toddler look as well. That pic up there is giving me pre-teen vibes!! Him feeling more grown up might have something to do with him basically already doing Kindergarten school work and exceling at it. He's been absorbing so much from listening to Jane and I doing school that when I started preschool with him I realized he already knew most of it. I always said Atlas needed something that was just his that gave him confidence. It seems that video games have given him that. It also gives me something to take away so that he understands some consequences from not listening. All the other discipline options we'd try weren't getting through to him. We still have listening problems but it's much improved from last year and there is a lot less whining overall unless his video game is not going how he wants or I tell him to stop playing. We're still working on that. We go through lots of phases with Atlas. Like for a time he'll be really good at obeying the rules and super helpful around the house and then slowly but surely he'll inch back to not listening and trying to get around any and all responsibilities. So it's like two steps forward one step back all the time. At least we're still moving forward! I'm proud of the growth he's achieved in the last year.

Seriously y'all, it seems silly to say but Atlas is gifted in video games in my opinion. Sure I still help him from time to time but he can do some things that I can't do now. Like jump three times in a row with his hat in Mario Odyssey across an opening I can't cross. In fact he's beaten Mario Odyssey on normal mode all on his own. It's his favorite game. I got him a couple of Mario books for Christmas so he would still be able to enjoy games when it wasn't game time. He pours over his Mario 30th anniversary book every night. I wonder what game might finally catch his interest as much as Mario. As a gamer myself it's super fun to watch him find a love for gaming. Video games catch a bad rap a lot, but for me I see them as amazing pieces of art and technology. Of course there are video games out there that are just not worth your time and it can be abused, but pretty much anything in life can be bad if you let it be. As long as it's not taking over your life and you have balance it is just another leisure activity to enjoy the same as books and tv for example. Atlas has learned problem solving, perseverance, sight words, counting, hand eye coordination, etc. All from video games. So lay off video games moms. Just find a balance and enjoy!

Atlas loves it when everyone wants to play video games with him but he's pretty equally happy to play on his own. He really does love his siblings and looks out for them. Jane and Atlas are the closest of the 4 but they are also the most competitive with each other. They are so opposite on so many things, somehow they get past it and play together very well most of the day. They love playing Mario/Bowser and Peach on the trampoline and mom's and dad's. Xan and Atlas play together the least. I think it's because they both have their buddy Atlas with Jane and Xan with Flynn. Then they also have the sister sister and brother brother thing with the other sib, so that doesn't leave much left for each other at this point. I mean they'll still play together sometimes but it usually ends up in a fight unfortunately. A lot of it has to do with Xan being 2 though. I wonder if they'll become closer later on. Atlas loves his little bro! But because Flynn is 1 and busy and curious Atlas is often upset with Flynn trying to grab his controllers or pressing buttons on the systems or stealing legos. Flynn loves to watch Atlas play video games though. I foresee Atlas teaching Flynn to play. I really really love watching the bonds grow.

Wanna know something? We basically cloned Sam with Atlas somehow. I don't mean just with looks. (I mean he really looks like Sam, we didn't even plan this matching shirt pic)  Their similarities in likes and dislikes and behavior can almost be stunning. I guess I'm exaggerating a little saying we cloned Sam because they do have some differences but there aren't that many. They are both second born middle kids and their birthdays are both in February only 3 days apart. They much prefer the cold instead of the heat. I can barely get Atlas to put a long pants on or a jacket. He'll be jumping on the trampoline in 50 degree weather in basketball shorts and a t-shirt and be totally happy. Atlas and Sam share their passion for video games and would both rather be left alone to play all day. I often leave Atlas home with Sam to play video games when Atlas isn't interested in what we're doing and I don't see it worth making him go. Atlas also shares Sam's rebellious nature and doesn't mind authority very well. We'll keep working on it! They are tough guys and can handle a lot but at the same time they can be sensitive to certain things. Like some sounds and textures can really bother them. They both have a genuine care for others in a quiet way, so it can be hard for outsiders to see. Sam sees the similarities in the two of them as well and has said some of his own traits are frustrating to deal with in a 5 year old. Haha! It's true. The stubbornness and rebellion runs strong! But we already know that as long as we continue to guide him and train him in the way of the Lord he will become a strong, caring man of God. Just like Sam. (that last part was me. Sam would never talk about himself like that. ;)

Weight

Birth: 8lbs 7oz

1 Year Old: 22 lbs

2 Years Old: 27 lbs

3 Years Old: 32 lbs

4 Years Old: 35 1/2 lbs

5 Years Old: 37 3/4 lbs

Although Atlas started out chunky he has definitely turned into a lightweight. I believe this comes mostly from his super pickiness! He won't try almost anything new and anything he does try he is adamant that he does not like! I'm hoping to work on that pickiness now that he's turning 5 and has a better understanding of rules and that just trying one bite is not the end of the world. I mean I'm starting to run out of food options for the boy since he likes so little.

Height

Birth: 21 1/2"

1 Year Old: 29"

2 Years Old: 33"

3 Years Old: 36"

4 Years Old: 3' 2.5" (38.5")

5 Years Old: 3' 6.25"

Atlas was on the high side of average height when he was born and stayed that way until 2. He has been on the short side ever since then. Maybe he inherited my short side or maybe he'll just wait until he's a teenager to shoot up like crazy. Sam doesn't remember being tall until he was in his teens sometime. He definitely looks a lot taller than last year but I think that's because he's really thinned out as well. Now that we had his well check, I was right! He grew 4" in the last year! 

Firsts

I found enough firsts to fill the whole year by a thread. I'm pretty sure next year I'll have to add in some memorable moments to fill in the year. Atlas does not like new things, he's much more comfortable to stick with what he knows, so finding firsts for him is a lot more difficult than it is for the other kids at this point. I could fill up a whole blog post with his first video game accomplishments! They don't necessarily make for good pictures though. ;)

Chuck E. Cheese Birthday party - February '20

Strawberry picking - April '20

Watching the blue angels - May '20

Feeding little bro his food - June '20

Holding a roman candle - July '20

Jumping off a diving board - August '20

Beating Mario Odyssey - September '20

Slip and Slide - October '20

Crossing the ditch - November '20

Ice Skating - December '20

A friend all of his own - January '21

Being 5! - Feb '21

Favorites

Atlas favorite place to be if he's not playing video games is on the trampoline. He still loves to be outside and he's pretty happy just to jump on his own. He enjoys having Jane and Alexandria to jump with him and play in the backyard too. I can send the big 3 out to play in the backyard on their own anytime, but now Flynn will cry if he doesn't get to join the crew. It won't be long though! Atlas always asks me to come on the trampoline with him. He likes me to bounce him high. As much as he's a cautious kid and doesn't like to try a whole lot of things he does have an adventurous side that comes out from time to time too.

Haha! Oh this picture. I thought it was pretty appropriate because Atlas is so picky that his plate is empty. This is Atlas waiting impatiently for his chicken nuggets on Thanksgivng because he wouldn't eat anything else. I wrote that I was hoping for improvement with his pickiness once he was 4. Well, I think he got worse... He's getting tired of food he eats all the time, and I don't blame him. But he won't try anything new and even if I force him to he says it's yucky every time. So yeah, his favorites haven't really changed from last year there's just less. His overall favorite meal is Three Cheese Hamburger Helper. He still loves chicken nuggets, spaghetti, white mac and cheese, chips, fruit snacks and gogurt. His number one out to eat meal is McDonalds burger kids meals. He loves dessert, chocolate, popsicles, cake, ice cream, starburst, all of it basically. At least his drinking habits are healthy. He likes Caprisun, milk and water. We're really going to work on trying new foods this year!! ;)

Atlas's favorite toys pretty much have to do with Mario now. He loves his bowser castle he got for Christmas and has really been enjoying his Lego Mario set he got for his birthday. He still enjoys trucks, building blocks and kinetic sand, but Mario toys are definitely number 1. He says bowser is his favorite Mario character.

I think Atlas's love for TV shows and movies has only grown over the year. He's always asking to watch something. Some of his favorites this year have been, Zig and Sharko, Shaun the Sheep, Bluey, Number blocks and Alpha blocks, Mario Super Show and Scooby Doo. His attention span for a movie has gotten so much better over the year. His absolute favorite right now is The Lorax, other favorites this year were Iron Giant, Wreck it Ralph 1 & 2, Wall-E and Sonic the Hedgehog. He'll watch just about anything though as long as it's not too "girly". ;)

The favorite video game is always the one that is new. Still I would say the one he has spent the most time playing overall is Mario Odyssey. He's beaten that game so many times on assist mode I've lost count. He beat it on normal mode as well but when he had done that once it was enough for him and went back to assist mode. ;) He even beat the final post game challenge too. I haven't even done that yet. His current favorite is New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe because that's the one we got him for his birthday. Super Mario 3D All Stars is up there too. Basically anything Mario. He likes Sonic and Kirby games too. He enjoys playing Mario party, Mario Kart, Super Smash bros, and Just Dance with his siblings. But mostly he's a lone gamer. He can play very passively and also jumping up and down and running around the room. I'm looking forward to introducing him to more of the wonderful world of video games as he gets older and starts to really read then I can show him my favorite genre of video games, RPGs.

Can you guess what Atlas's favorite books are?? Yup, Mario books. ;) He pours over the books we got him for Christmas every night. He can read a few sight words and sound out simple words but mostly he just looks at the pictures. Just like I predicted he will stay up with his reading light on for a long time. His favorite is The Super Mario Bros Encyclopedia the first 30 years. He also enjoys the Mario Odyssey Art book. Other favorite books this year were Where Oliver Fits, A Squirrel's Tale, Just Imagine, Lifesize and First Illustrated Thesaurus.

Playing video games is definitely Atlas's favorite activity, but he still enjoys the outdoors for sure! His other top favorite activities are still jumping on the trampoline and swimming. He also loves to swing, play hide and seek, monster tag, wrestling with Dad, being thrown on the couch by Pappaw and any and all imagining with Jane and Xan in the backyard. Playing on the kindle is his substitute when video games are not an option. I'm pretty sure that's where he learned his letter sounds so well.

Last year I said that my homebody had become a full fledged goer. Well, I think it was a combination of quarantine and his increased love for video games that he has reverted back to a homebody. ;) Pretty much whenever staying at home with dad and playing video games is an option that's what he will choose. He gets excited if we are staying home all day. I remember feeling that way sometimes though! I mean I liked going places but when we had a busy week having a day to stay home and play video games all day was really fun too. He still has his favorite places to go. I don't think they've changed from last year. He prays to go back to the beach and cousin Colin's house every night. He'd never turn down going to Marmee's house and Uncle Scott's house. He really enjoys the park and splash pads and pools too. Sadly we haven't been able to go to inflatable play places, the library and urban air in a year but I'm sure he'd still love those places too.

I have loved watching Atlas's confidence grow over this past year. As he's found what he's good at he's much more comfortable to be himself and I've seen him stop trying to be like anyone else. He can be very serious and talks about not wanting to get any older so no one has to die. That breaks my heart. He had a bond with my grandfather and he's being saying things like that ever since he passed. He cares deeply for the people he loves. He's acts tough but he's a sensitive soul. He always needs one more tuck back in a bedtime from me than everyone else. He'll shower me with kisses until I tell him I need to go. He's a big goofball and is always trying to make everyone laugh. He's much more easily motivated than Jane and gets his chores done more consistently. The thing he has to work on is his patience. He's good at asking nicely but he asks a thousand times without end until I get him what he asked for. He also needs to work on staying calm when things don't go his way. I can see him trying though! And that's what's important. Teaching him to be a lifelong learner is the goal! And I am loving watching him learn and grow.

Happy 5th Birthday Atlas! We love you so much!

James 1:4-5

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Happy New Year 2021!!

 

Hallelujah 2020 is over!! The year ended bright for us thankfully. I know how fortunate I am to be able to say that, I know many can't say the same. I'm praying that 2021 is a better year overall for... well, the world really. I know just turning over a number on the calendar won't magically make everything better. But I love that a new year feels like a chance for a fresh start! We need to do as much as we can to help 2021 be a better year. We really need to bring it back to loving others better in my opinion. I know it's hard when we have different opinions, but why can't we just listen for once instead of trying to make ourselves heard? What happened to Slow to speak but quick to listen? Slow to anger?? It's all gone out the window and for what? Just to hear someone say we are right? And even when we have listened and we still disagree can we not still be friends? We can be! Let's not let the current hot topic divide us!. Some have told me the way I react to things is "whatever" like I'm not passionate about anything. I guess it's true that on most hot button issues that come up I do end up in the middle most of the time. That's mostly because I can see that both sides have good points and bad points. I try not to put myself on a side that divides me from half of the country. Where is my witness then? Here's the thing, I am passionate about the things that matter the most. For example, treating people well, with kindness and respect no matter what political party they align themselves with or what background they come from. Sharing God's love and how much he has done for me is something I do whenever I have a chance. I'm not perfect though, I do get frustrated when someone can't see my point of view. I get it. It's not easy. The easy thing is to stop listening, to "hide" them, to surround yourself only with people who think just like you. But God doesn't call us to easy! He's calls us to the best! And I've found in my life that the best doesn't come easy. In fact it's down right hard. Let's not shy away from the hard things! I really believe that so many problems in the world could be solved with having the hard conversations and actually communicating and not just talking AT each other. Apparently I could write on this for a long time. But I'll stop here and move on with my New Year post. Please, if you are a Christian pursue the fruits of the spirit and examine your life to see if you are in line with them in this coming year.

Peace Y'all!

Ok! Let me take a moment to do a quick update on what's been going on with us! Like my equivalent of a short Christmas card letter. We'll go oldest to youngest! 

That means I'm first. ;) I'm very happy to be working for one of my favorite bosses again. I am handling banking and other various accounting tasks for an oil and gas company called Sequitur. I've been back to work for just about a month now. It feels good. I'm finding a better routine now that the holidays are over as well. I keep very busy keeping up with 4 kids 6 and under, homeschooling, staying involved with the Heart Homeschool group and leading park days. When I get time to myself I enjoy writing in my blog, taking and looking back at pictures of my family, watching movies and playing a few video games. 

Sam stays very busy at work for Xerox. He is the Shop manager and he works over often and commutes an hour away. We are so proud of the hard work he does for us so I can stay home with the kids. When he has some rare free time he enjoys playing video games, listening to all kinds of music, old/new and from every genre, watching anime or movies and recently he is casually collecting football/baseball cards. 

Jane is 6 1/2 and in 1st grade and she makes sure I know she does not enjoy school. Unless it's history or something to do with the human body. She asks to do those subjects in her free time. She does well in Math but complains about it. Her handwriting is improving but it's still a chore for her. Reading is the biggest struggle at this point. I'm starting to see the light blubs slowly coming on though! It's exciting. Her favorite thing to do is imagine and play games with her siblings and friends. Jane continues to love everything girly, pink, princesses, mermaids and fashion. She recently switched to a relaxed home school gymnastics class with her good friends and she's loving it. She goes twice a week for the same price. Jane's memory is very impressive. She can remember details back when she was 2 sometimes. It blows my mind. She very proud of losing 4 teeth so far.

Atlas is turning 5 next month and in preschool. He doesn't mind doing school. He seems sort of indifferent about it. He is catching on fast! We only do 15-30 minutes of school a day and very relaxed. He can already count to 100, knows all of the letter sounds and about 10 sight words and can read a couple of easy bob books. I haven't even started on handwriting yet. Recently he lost all his toddler look and is starting to looking like a big kid to me! He started gymnastics and enjoys it but doesn't show the passion for it that Jane did. He is very passionate about video games and seems gifted at it. He can complete Mario Odyssey on normal mode on his own. He does jumps in that game I can't do! (and Mario is my jam) I just have to make sure he balances video games with enjoying other things in life. 

Xan is 2 1/2 years old and enjoys school! I wasn't even planning to do anything with her this year but she asks for her turn. So we are practicing letter sounds and reviewing colors. Animals are her favorite, especially alligators, frogs, turtles, dinosaurs and dragons. She is happiest as long as she's involved with whatever everyone else is doing. She loves that she is old enough to run around with the big kids most of the time now. She does open gym and adores it!! She may end up having more of passion for it than Jane did. She's sooo flexible and chooses to sit in a split position often. Her favorite thing is to jump up and down. She's such a bouncy kid! She makes immediate friends everywhere she goes. She says "I want to hold you" all day long. Cuddles never stop with her. I love it.

Flynn just turned 1 last month! Obviously he isn't doing any school yet but he tries to get in the middle of it whenever possible. He is a busy boy. Potentially my busiest baby yet. He is a super climber! Always climbing things I don't expect him to. He was a fussy newborn but once he started crawling he became such a happy boy! I'm excited for him as he's beginning to walk. I think he'll be even happier once he has that skill down all the way! He spends the day happily exploring the house finding things to climb or chew on. He loves to throw and chase balls as well.

It's finally time for my 4 New Years questions! I love going through these each year and looking back at them at the end of the year. Click here for last year's post! Wow, reading through those were interesting, I had no idea what 2020 was going to bring. Something I said I was looking forward to in 2020 was being done with January 2020 Haha! (it was a busy month for accounting and Flynn was a fussy newborn) Little did I know the rest of 2020 was going to be a doozy. Lastly, my goals for 2020. I did indeed teach Jane to read. I made some progress with less time on my phone but still could have done better. I did get back to doing Bible study a few times a week. The most interesting thing to me is that I said I wanted to decrease the amount of work I had. I thought that meant dropping a client and inching closer to me not working at all. God had something totally different. I lost my job and realized that I do better overall with having work outside of the home to do. When I got my new job in December I was so much more grateful to have a job again and I no longer blame work for not getting things done. God gave me the gift of perspective in 2020, how ironic is that! Hindsight truly is 20/20.

1. What are you most grateful for in 2020?

My new job!! It was a stressful, weird time when I lost my job. God was faithful and took good care of us. I was soooo grateful when one of my favorite previous bosses contacted me about an opportunity. I was hired that same day! So amazing! I'm still overwhelmed with gratefulness. 

Honorable mentions: That Sam was able to stay working the entire year. A generous Christmas bonus for Sam. ALL of the love and support from our wonderful friends and family.

2. What was your favorite moment of 2020?

For some reason there isn't just one moment this year that jumps out at me. Usually I have one. I mean I guess every year lately I've either had a baby or I've had a new niece or nephew born. Also I'm not shying away from the fact that it was a hard year... 

Ok so first the first one that came to mind was a moment a few weeks after my grandfather had passed away. Jane came up to me right before bed time and gave me a huge tight hug like she never had before. I commented on what a great hug it was and she said, "It's a Papa hug!!" It made my heart swell that my grandfather's love will be remembered in her life. <3 He was known for giving great hugs and loving people so well.

Honorable mentions: (Hey I actually came up with a couple more!!) adding Milo to the family, making our own backyard waterslide, having a day trip to the beach with our friends after part of our family beach trip was cut short by a tropical storm.

3. What are you looking forward to in 2021?

Not being pregnant or nursing for the first time in 7+ years. I am so excited to enjoy the fun 1 year old months without feeling sick and so tired from being pregnant. I'm definitely looking forward to moving on from the little baby stage of life. 

Honorable mention: Hopefully things getting back to normal! (no masks and social distancing and such.) I know a virus never completely goes away, but please, can we say goodbye to COVID halting life?? 

4. What goals do you hope to accomplish in 2021?

I've got a few! I'm trying to keep them realistic and know it's ok if I don't accomplish it all in one year. 

1. Having more 1 on 1 time with the kids. Specifically,  I would like to spend 30 minutes each day reading with my kids individually on a rotating basis, not including bedtime books. My hope is to instill a love for reading in them. 

2. Losing the last 8 lbs of baby weight from Flynn.

3. Prioritizing my time better with less time spent on my phone. 

4. Being on time to things on a more consistent basis again.

Goodbye 2020!!!!! (Thank the Lord!) Hello 2021! Happy New Year Everybody!

James 1:19-20

You know this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for a man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. 

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; 

but the greatest of these is love.

Flynn the 1 year old!

Excuse me while I cry over my last baby turning 1!! I truly can't believe it. How can he be 1? This year has flown by. Time has felt extra weird in 2020. With everything that's gone on in the past year, in a way, it's felt like a lifetime. It's hard to remember life without Flynn around! But then it's also had a surreal feel, so it seems like the past 9 months didn't even happen. So in my head Flynn should still be 3 months old. He's exploding with growth right now. Taking first steps, learning how to communicate even better and starting to really play with his siblings. It's the beginning of one of my favorite ages! <3

Look at that sweet newborn face! So fresh! I'm usually not too sentimental about 1st birthdays, but since this is the last 1st birthday in the family I'm getting a little teary and giving him lots of extra hugs and snuggles! I have loved the tiny baby years of my motherhood journey, but I am also really looking forward to what's ahead. Each time my most recent baby started sleeping through the night I would get pregnant within a month or two. I'm really looking forward to sleeping again for an extended period of time without getting pregnant this time around. ;) Don't get me wrong I chose to do it that way and I'd do it again. But I've been pregnant or breastfeeding for the past 7 years. I know I've reached my limit. It feels weird for this season of life be coming to an end but also right. I'm excited for the time when our whole family can sit down and watch a movie together from start to finish. There's lots of things I'm looking forward to. Sure there are challenges in every season of motherhood but it's all worth it and such a joy. I'm looking forward to all the new experiences this next season will bring. I'm definitely excited to enjoy my 1 year old without being pregnant.

Ok, I'll stop being sappy and get back to Flynn! Here's some stats from his first year.

Weight

Birth: 6lbs 6oz

1 Year Old: 20lbs 13oz

Flynn started off so super tiny! Like in the 2nd percentile or something when he was first weighed at the dr. office. I'm so proud of how far he's come! Now he's near the middle of the pack as far as weight is concerned. He's not as chunky as Atlas was and nowhere near the chubby bunny that Xan was, but he did beat Jane by a couple pounds at her first year check up. He likes to eat, but he is so busy that I'm pretty sure he just burns it all off in the course of a day. Between his 9 month and 12 month well checks he only gained half a pound. This boy likes to move!!

Height

Birth: 20 Inches

1 Year Old: 28.5 Inches

Flynn was a little short when he was born but not by too much. After the first couple of months he had stayed around the middle of the road for height. But at his last appointment he only grew half an inch in the last 3 months and it put him at like the 7th percentile. So weird! I'm wondering if my milk supply had really started to dwindle and I didn't notice. He got his first bottle of milk after his first birthday so I wonder if that will make a difference. Also I always wonder how accurate they are with their measurements of height with babies at the dr. office. They do it so fast and the write their curved lines on that paper and don't seem to be very exact. A 1/4-1/2 an inch makes a big difference on the percentile scales. Anyway, I'm not too worried about it. He could end up being tall like Sam and be a tank or a more compact guy that's super fast and nimble at sports like my brother or somewhere in the middle! Either way would be great. I'm looking forward to finding out!

It's official! All my babies teethe late! Flynn finally got his first tooth at 10 months old. Jane was the earliest at 9 months. And back then I thought that was late! Xan was right after 1 and Atlas took until 13 1/2 months to get his first chomper. Flynn's second tooth popped through about a week before his 1st birthday. Since I nurse for the first 12+ months having late teething babies has worked out great for me! 

Firsts

Awww, it's my last time recapping a first year through their eventful firsts! Can you tell I'm feeling very sentimental about this blog post? They grow soooo much through their first year. Such a huge change from my tiny newborn to my super busy 1 year old boy. Firsts are still my favorite part each kid's birthday blog post.

Bath - 1 1/2 weeks

 

Smile - 1 month 

Laugh - 3 months 

Swing and Jumper - 3 months

Standing with assistance - 3 1/2 months 

Rolling - 4 months

Swim - 4 months

Sitting - 4 1/2 months

Pulling up and food - 6 months

Crawling - 6 1/2 months

Standing - 7 1/2 months

Climbing - 8 months

Beach/Waving/pointing/throwing/clapping - 8-9 months

Sleeping through the night and tooth - 10 months

Steps - 11 months

Walking across the room - coming soon!

Favorites

Look at that smolder! (Just like Flynn Rider, haha! NOT who he was named after by the way.) This boy loves to have his serious face on. I mean he can be smiley and loves to laugh, but he's much more likely to give you one of his serious or grumpy faces when you smile at him. Don't worry it doesn't mean he doesn't like you... most of the time. ;) Like all of my other babies Flynn LOVES the outdoors. Maybe more than all the rest. He can be fussy inside, but as soon as we step out of the door he's smiling again. Just crawling around and exploring is his favorite thing. I think finding something to climb is his goal. He always surprises me with what he can climb. For example, he loves to sit in the drivers seat and hold on to the steering wheel. Little did I know he could climb on to the steering wheel and stand on top of it. He also loves to find sticks, spoons or anything that has a similar shape to tap and bang on things with. Maybe he has some drummer tendencies? He loves to swing and cries when I have to take him out. Flynn is naturally drawn towards any body of water, even if it's just a tiny puddle or of course the dog's water bowl. It's a constant struggle to keep him out of it! He loves the bathtub and the pool as well. I'm looking forward to watching him toddle around splash pads and the sunshelf of my parents pool this summer! One thing that is different from his siblings is that he's not a fan of the trampoline yet. But I think that's because there's almost always 3 big kids jumping on it. He never gets a moment on it to himself. I'll have to try to find more opportunities for him to enjoy it.

Flynn really enjoys eating as long as I can get him to stop crawling around everywhere and focus! Some of his favorites are Ritz crackers, veggie straws, teddy grahams, fruit snacks, strawberries, cheese, popsicles, yogurt, Mac and cheese, spaghetti and bread. He'll try just about anything though!

I'm not sure Flynn has favorite toys... I guess they're not your typical toys. He loves these spoons! Anytime I'm loading the dishwasher he comes and grabs them out and takes off with them crawling around and banging the ground and whatever else is around. He grabs the reusable straws too. A recent favorite from Christmas is his pounding bench. OH and he loves balls! He'll throw them, chase them and bump them along with him as he crawls.

Just recently Flynn has taken an interest in books! Yay! The first 11 months of his life I couldn't keep his interest in them even if they had textures. Now before bed he likes to pick two or three out and enjoys turning the pages and feeling all the textures and finger trails, lifting flaps and pushing sound buttons. His favorite is definitely "Don't Tickle the Hippo". He also enjoys 10 Crunching Caterpillars a good bit. He still doesn't care about a book that doesn't have any special elements. It will happen though! All three of the older kids started that way and now they get sad when I tell them we're done reading books.

Flynn's favorite activities are throwing balls, splashing in puddles, swimming, going to the park, climbing anything, swinging, exploring, going on walks, getting into big brother and sisters things, cuddling blankets and pillows and anything else that involves moving around. He likes going places, but hates getting in his car seat. Feeling restricted is not his favorite. He doesn't love the carrier either. He's a busy boy!!

I usually don't add a section for favorite TV shows in the 1 year old post because I can't tell if they like one more than another. But Flynn always crawls over to the TV to watch Blues Clues when the big kids are watching. Otherwise he doesn't pay much attention to the TV. Unless we're playing video games then he really wants a controller to think he's playing with us. So cute!! He's always trying to steal Atlas's controller when he's playing Mario.

Flynn loves his siblings!! It's so amazing that he seems to have a different, yet special connection with each of them. Jane and Flynn share a busy nature and love anything exciting. He also has a trust with Jane since she's old enough to care for him in a more responsible way than the other siblings. With Atlas he's got the brother bond and he's already trying to play video games with big brother. Of all the siblings Alexandria and Flynn are the closest in age. They fight sometimes because of that, but they also seem to have the most affectionate relationship too. They're always hugging each other and Flynn always wants to be playing near Xan. As the 4th born, Flynn is picking things up from everyone! I think the thing he's learned from everyone is to be loud! ;) "Oh, it's time to scream? I can do that too!!" I don't know why I can't turn the volume down in my house. We're constantly talking about being quieter. I sort of feel like since my first one was just naturally loud it's just my fate to have a loud house. All the rest of them seem to be loud just to be heard. Still, I'm not giving up, we'll keep having talks about not screaming, yelling or just plain talking loudly until I feel like we've come back down to a reasonable level. Even so he's learned good things from the big sibs too, like sitting to read a book, keeping up with a busy household and not letting things bother him easily. He can take several splashes of water to the face without crying and even wrestle with Xan and enjoy it already. I can't get over how blessed we are to have 4 kids and get to watch all of the brother sister relationships develop through the years!

A year and a half ago I read about giving kids roles in the family according to their strengths and personality traits at a young age so they can have a sense of purpose and can contribute to the family early on. For example Jane's role is the leader of the kids and she is the keeper of excellence. Atlas is the protector and the keeper of fairness. Alexandria is the follower/helper and the keeper of kindness. Of course Flynn is little young for roles but at 3 months old I wrote that he would be the keeper of balance and consistency. I also noted that his strengths would be a sound mind, level head and having logic balanced with love. His top needs are having routine, reassurance and security. Now at a year old all those still seem pretty spot on at this point. It could always change of course! But it's true, he's a busy guy, but he does stop for cuddles. And even though he's very adventurous he's pretty good at not getting in over his head. Sure he's a baby and cries, but he doesn't get overly emotional about things and he's pretty easy to settle. He has a great capacity to love, but doesn't give his love easily. You've got to earn his trust first! He knows what he likes and feels safe to have those things, at the same time his joy for exploring is contagious!

All this makes him uniquely Flynn Samuel Daniels and it is my privilege to watch him grow up!

Happy Birthday Flynn! We love you so much buddy!

1 Thessalonians 3:12

And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.