HAPPY SPRING!

I've looked forward to this update and I didn't even realize that April was coming to an end already.  So now I'm late in preparing and sending the April update out. 

The time preceding Easter was busy as we welcomed our little Devin into the world and struggled to find a 'routine' with a newborn in the house.  It became apparent that the boys were in love with their new brother.  They ask to hold him or see him at every given moment.  Devin adjusted to his new home quickly and has sprouted like a weed. 

I cannot believe how quickly each day passes and how those days have turned into weeks.  It is amazing to me that time can pass so quickly, no matter how I try to suck up each moment.  It is unbelievable that Devin is already 7 weeks old as I write this.  There are times I wish the hours would just fly by as the kids may drive me crazy and I yearn for the first moments I have to myself all week. Being at home with the kids is intensely draining, satisfying and amazing all at the same time. 

Creative Space

As I spend time at home with my three boys, I search for that creative space I used to have before my work bled into my personal life.  I have increased my photography of those fleeting moments, capturing that memory somewhere so that it's documented and not lost forever.  This is a multi-step process that requires me to be both more organized and more creative than I've had to be in the past.  It's an interesting challenge that I'm enjoying.

Easter

Our Easter was beautiful as we celebrated in our home parish.  The church was crowded and full of life.  We enjoyed the mass, the beauty of the Easter celebration and the tasty dinner afterward.  As has become our own tradition in the the past few years, it was also a time to get those family pictures.  My brother is a proficient photographer.  I have full faith in his ability to great pictures with my camera so these pictures are rare ones where I'm actually IN the picture, dressed nicely.  That is an extraordinarily RARE moment in my life so I like to make sure it's captured.

In Closing

So many times people, especially parents, tell me that kids grown so quickly.  I am now a three time mother and that bit of information has not changed but still does not cease to shock me as I look back at pictures of each child at different ages.  One thing I have learned is that one does not have to have children in order to look back and realize that life really spins quickly.  It will pass right by you if you do not stop to enjoy it.  If you cannot stop and say you enjoy your life, then something in your life needs to change so that you can stop and actually enjoy it.

As used to be custom on our site, we greeted friends and family with birthday wishes.  I will resurrect that practice because May is a birthday month in our family and among our friends.

Birthday greetings to our friends and family who have or will celebrate in May: Sing along if you know the song: "Thiiiiiiiiiis iiiiiiiiis your birthday song, it isn't very long!"

• Fr. Steven Brown a.k.a. Padre - 1 May
• Daddy - 9 May
• Christina A - 10 May
• Linh H - 15 May
• Linda T - 16 May
• Maureen - 24 May
  
• Lupita - 25 May
• Fr. Kevn Joyce a.k.a. FK - 28 May
  

Lastly, this little prayer song is for you:

May the blessing of the Lord be upon you
The blessing of the Father and the Son
And may the Spirit of God, the Spirit of God
Be with you all your days!

School Days

I am still in the midst of my school year.  I've learned too many things to tell you here.  I will share that I've done a few science projects with plants, learned to write most of the alphabet.  I can read Ten Apples Up On Top all by myself and can read many others.  I love playing Go Fish with my word families cards and memory match with my sight words.  I have learned all the Presidents of the United States up until the 30th president, just because I love learning their names.  I love puzzles and Mommy found a geography puzzle for me to put together.  Mommy says I'm curious so I've asked all kinds of questions about the puzzle and have learned all but about 10 states.  I get to play math games and have learned addition and am learning subtraction.  There are many other things that I've learned and lots more that I will learn.   I love school and learning.  It's so awesome!

Movie Nights

Have you had a movie night?  We have movie nights at home and it's so much fun!   We make popcorn, lay down the couch, pile on our pillows and blankets and turn on a movie.  Daddy made it so that we get Netflix through our TV.  Now it's super fun to be able to pick out something to watch.  Our favorite things to watch are VeggieTales and a show called Sitting Ducks.  I don't really like big movie theatres because when we went to Mickey's Summer House (Mommy's Note: Liam is referring to Disney's CA Adventure) we watched a Muppet Show in a big movie theatre and it was SUPER DUPER loud and scared me.  If the movis is more like our movies at home, I think I can handle that!  I have to get sort of used to movie theatres because I really, really want to see Toy Story 3 when it comes out and Mommy and Daddy said that I have to be a big boy and sit in a movie theatre in order to see it when it first comes out.  I guess I have to learn how to do that, then.

Devin

Devin smiled at me first.  I LOVE Devin.  When he cries, I go to him and ask him "What's wrong?" in a soft voice just like Mommy and Daddy do.  Then when he sees me, he smiles a great big smile.  Once he kind of laughed, too!  Mommy said that I should feel very special because Devin laughed a little when he saw me and I was the first one he did that with.  Mommy tells me that when I talk to her and Devin is nearby that Devin looks around to find me because he can hear my voice.  I just LOVE Devin and I think he loves me, too!

Movie Nights

LIke Liam said, we have been having some movie nigts at home.  I just love movie nights because we get to pull all of our blankets out with our pillows, turn off all the lights in the room and eat popcorn and watch my favorite movies like Bob the Builder, VeggieTales and a show about a Duck and an Alligator.  I sometimes want to watch Thomas the Tank Engine but Liam doesn't always like watching Thomas anymore and Mommy says we have to pick things to watch that Liam and I both like.  Sometimes we get to pick SuperWhy which is one of my favorites because we learn about stories, letters and reading. When we have movie night, sometimes we even get to eat ice cream while we have our movie. That's really cool.  Mommy and Daddy don't even play Farmville or do other things on the computer when we have movie nights.  It's all about having fun.

Devin

I love Devin.  He's so little.  He's even littler than me!  I love to hug him, and touch his cheek softly with my hand the way Mommy does.  I do not like when he cries because he's hungry or wants his pacifier and Mommy can't find it.  He really doesn't cry all that much, which is good because I really wouldn't like it if he did.

Hello World!

It's my first post. Mommy thought that I should start sharing in my own thoughts.  Sure, I won't have much to say just yet, especially because I can't talk yet but it's never too late to start, right?  I've been busy sleeping, eating and growing.

When I was born, I was 7 lbs, 12 ounces.  At my 2 week appointment, I  weighed in at 8 lbs 2 ounces.  Then at my one month appoint, I weighed in at 10 lbs, 8 ounces!  Mommy told me that I am also the longest of the boys and grew from 20 inches to 21.5 inches in those same 4 weeks.  Like I said, I'm busy growing and looking around.  I can't really see very much, but I love to try to look at things around me.  I love hearing you talk to me and so when Mommy, Daddy and Liam talk to me, I'll try to talk right back, but I can't really say very much.  I have learned to hold my head up better.  I've learned to smile and to sort of laugh.  I make more sounds now and Mommy says that I'm trying to talk. I guess she's right!  That's all for now. I'm sleepy and so now I think I'll take a nap!