Six Years Four Months Old

I just love this kid.  He's the most sincere, loving, good-hearted boy in the world.  And he's my son!  I knew he was a gentle, sweet soul but watching him with his baby brother just proves it even more.  He really loves "his baby".  He'll be loving on Maverick and say, "I just want to squeeze him to pieces!"

Rocco continues to keep an eye on his brother for me.  If he is crying, feels cold, seems hungry, is tired, etc. big brother comes and tells me about it.  Here's a picture of Rocco trying to calm him down himself by giving him a pacifier.  He also read a book to him by himself for the first time.  He read The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

The other day Maverick was crying.  Not much seemed to sooth him.  Rocco left the room ( I figured to get a break from all of the crying ).  He came back with his toy guitar.  "Maybe he wants a lullaby, mama!"  And he strummed away, way out of tune, and Maverick just stopped to listen.

It was this month that he finally spent the night at his nana and granddaddy's house.  This was a big deal.  Even though they don't live but a few minutes away, Rocco has never really wanted to leave at night.  He loves to snuggle with me too much when we go to bed.  But...he did indeed spend the night with them.  I think Drew (his 13 yr old first cousin) being over there that night probably helped him make this decision ;).

And while he was spending the night over there, Drew had "quiet time" with him before going to bed.  They read the Bible together.  This really impacted Rocco.  Since then he often asks me at night to have quiet time with him.  And he's learned the books of the New Testament, too.  I am especially proud of this!

Vacation Bible School is a big event every summer for us.  This year was no exception.  Ms. Tabatha was his teacher. Will is one of his best friends from church and school, and he was there again this year at VBS.  They had a great time; they said recreation was their favorite.

When Rocco is playing around the house, he often tucks his shirt in.  He does this because all of the baseball players do so.  And often I'll see him with various things in his pocket (or hanging off of his shorts).  Keys, old cell phone, sword...all sorts of things.  And speaking of baseball, we met one of the Braves players at the library.  This tickled Rocco; this second baseman signed Rocco's bat.

The last week in July we finally made it to the beach.  Jason and I wanted to get away, but we especially did this trip for Rocco.  He wanted to go to the beach.  We made it to Panama City.  Other than the pool, Rocco really enjoyed running from the incoming tide.  

Rocco has made a lot of improvement in the pool this year.  Earlier he was scared to get his head under the water.  Just a few weeks ago he began jumping into nana and granddaddy's pool from the pool steps.  Eventually he graduated to jumping off of the side.  Every now and then his head would go under for a few seconds, then he would pop up.  He had a big life vest on each time.  As time progressed, Rocco finally got up the nerve to jump into the pool without his vest.  Jason wasn't far, and he helped him swim to the steps.  By the time school started, Jason was throwing Rocco way up in the air (sometimes helicopter style).  Rocco would come splashing down into the water.  When we went on vacation one of his favorite things to do in the pool was to just hold his head under the water for a few seconds as he floated on his belly with his swim vest on.  We're so proud of him and excited about how much he's improved this summer!  Most of his bravery came when I wasn't around.  Jason built up his confidence and encouraged him to be brave.

One thing he does that may make no sense to anyone else but me is that he calls Chex Mix "tickle food."  We just started calling it this.  And I've never seen a kid more ticklish than Rocco.  Some days when I'm tickling him I'll say, "Today is National Tickle Day".  "No, mommy!" he insists.  But I just continue to persuade him that indeed it is the national day for moms to tickle their babies.  Then, I tickle him until he can hardly breathe.

Jason and Rocco have been watching a fishing show on TV.  Chris Lane is a very animated fisherman.  When he catches fish he'll shout, Yeah! or Pow!, and pump his fist in the air.  Rocco imitates this now when he gets excited.  It's pretty funny.

Four Months Old

Maverick's eye sight seems to be right on track.  He can follow us across the room as well as anything small you put in front of him.  He loves to grasp at things now.  If we put our faces close to his, he'll grab and tightly clench his fists.  He can really pinch your face and ears!  I think he enjoys experimenting with different textures; mommy's face is much smoother than daddy's rough whiskers, and Rocco is the softest of all.  During his bath time, he loves to reach for the water as I gently pour it over his chest.  He likes to try and grab the trickle.  He's also learned how to pull the musical toy on his baby seat to make it sing.  

If he is laying down, he uses his flexibility to pull his foot up to his mouth.  He'll eat about three toes at once.  They make a good teether, and he's shown some signs of early teething.  

When he was 13 weeks old (June 28th to be exact) he slept the whole entire night without getting up for a feeding.  He's done well since then, but he usually gets up at 4am to nurse and then again at 7 or 8am.  It's right back to sleep though, so we can't complain.  He's a great baby!

This month he got his first experience at the beach.  We spent a week in Panama City.  He learned to enjoy the pool, but he didn't care for the ocean water.  He didn't mind the sand on his toes.  I think his favorite part was the sound of the waves crashing in.  It would put him to sleep almost every time.  

Maverick is such a happy little baby.  When I talk to him he just lights up, smiles, and begins kicking his legs.  He's so personable, and he just loves attention.  If he sits by himself for too long, he'll let you know it's time to pay him some attention.  And you have to watch him closely.  The other day I had him in his bouncer/rocker seat.  Rocco told me, "Mama, he's sliding down."  Within minutes I heard a thunk.  Poor Maverick was crying because he had wiggled his way out of it and had landed on the floor. And one day when I was paying the bills he managed to tackle his play gym to the ground.  He's a strong little fella.  That's what Rocco would always pray before I had him. "Dear God, Help Maverick to be strong and healthy."  Praise the Lord his prayers were answered.

Six Years Three Months Old

June has been a great month for us.  With school out, we've been able to just stay around the house and spend lots of time together.  Having summers off if one of the biggest perks of being a teacher.  August will be here too soon, but for now we're enjoying every day we have.

We've gone blackberry picking two or three times now. We ride the four wheeler to our special secret spots. Rocco is really good at telling me which ones are ready.  Every now and then he'll pick a few himself.  I've made three cobblers this summer; they're just delicious.

Our church's VBS is later in July, but he went to Live Oak (the church Jason pastored for 9 years).  He came home with this super hero outfit.  His mask said, "Powered by God."

We've talked more about heaven and hell lately.  He asks me what heaven is like.  When I told him the part about us having perfect bodies he began to ask questions.  "Like I will have my same skin but no mosquito bites?"  "I guess so..." I responded.  "But, mommy will you have your mole?"  That was the sweetest question.  He loves the mole on my chin and has felt of it often going to sleep.  With perfect bodies I don't guess I'll have that mole.  He was a little concerned about that.

Every night he asks me, "Mommy are you putting me to bed?"  Most nights I do, but when I'm up late doing something he wants to know, "But when are you coming to bed?"  Rocco still sleeps in our bed at six years old.  Jason has told him when he goes to first grade he will start sleeping in his own room.  We will see.

Maverick is just three months old and is not much of a playmate at this age, but he does watch DVDs with his big brother.  This is one of their daily activities.  Rocco has him watching Mater's Tall Tales, Thomas the Train, and Monster Jam.  They are quite the pair watching their shows in Maverick's room.

 Being a big brother comes so naturally for Rocco.  He is so good with Maverick.  Whenever his little brother starts to cry, Rocco is the problem solver.  "Oh he's just fighting sleep!" he'll say.  Or he'll tell us, "He's probably hungry"  or "He needs his paci."  One day he told me, "He's upset because he wants to watch Mater's Tall Tales."

Rocco knows by now that I am a picture taking mama.  When he gets close to Maverick, he'll tell me, "Take a 'pitch-uh'!"  This was probably one of those times.  I couldn't resist.  Just look at him supporting his little brother's neck.

Rocco is very tight with his money.  He just collects any cash he gets and stores it in his secret hiding spot.  We've certainly spoiled him by buying him some little something almost every time we're out at the store.  Lately, I'll tell him that if he wants it he has to pay me back for it.  He'll quickly change his mind.  This has cut down on our toy spending a good bit.    

One morning he woke up and asked me out of the blue, "What's in your wallet?"  This cracked me up.  No doubt he heard this from a commercial.  

One day we were eating out for Father's Day and my dad gave me $10 for something.  As I put it in my wallet, Rocco began to pout because he wanted the money.  "I'll give you this five." I told him.  He wasn't dumb.  He insisted on the ten.  Later after we ate, my dad gave him $10.  Immediately, he turned to me and said, "Where's my five, mom?"  Needless to say he didn't get it. 

 On Father's Day when Jason opened his card Rocco was concerned.  "Is that my money?"  He did the same thing when my nana opened up her birthday card.  I had to assure him that the money did not come from his secret hiding spot.  

Our big guy is all about speed lately.  He loves to race down the hall and back to see how fast he can do it.  Jason and I got in on the fun and tried to beat each other's times.  We're very competitive.  Of course Rocco beat all of our fast times.  When we're going down the road Rocco can spot a car going too fast.  He'll just shake his head and say, "Boy he's gonna get a ticket!"

Baseball continues to be one his favorites.  We'll pretend we're playing for the Braves and going against some other team like the Sand Gnats, Lookouts, or Green Jackets.  Once Rocco tucks his shirt tail in, gets a wad of Big League chewing gum, and picks up his tomahawk (uses it for his bat) we are ready to go.  I'm the coach and the announcer.  When he changes sides with the imaginary team, he'll say, "So, how are we doing coach?"

This month Rocco has really become more self sufficient.  I know I've babied him so much; I guess now that we have a second child he has to do more things for himself.  He now can open the car door to get in and out; he can also buckle and unbuckle himself in the seat.  He's also started getting more brave in the pool lately.  He's been jumping off of the top step.  Every now and then he will go under...not often.  It will only be a matter of time before he's jumping off the side of the pool and swimming without a life vest.

  

Three Months Old

 Look who is another month older. He's certainly grown since May.  He is no longer in size 1 diapers.  I had to pack away most of his 3 month outfits because they were just too small.  Our big boy is wearing at least 3-6 month clothes and some are straight 6 months.  On any given day you can probably bet that his socks are hanging off at his toes because his feet are so long.  At three months old he is about 14 pounds.  This morning when I woke up and saw him, he looked like a little linebacker laying there in his bed.

Oh how thankful I am that I've been able to stay at home with my boys this summer!  Since Maverick has been born I've only had to work six days.  My eight weeks of maternity leave were up the end of May, but by this time school was just about out.  And now I have the summer to spend with them.  I love staying at home and seeing how they change and grow every day.  Just look at what Maverick learned to do recently.

It is so sweet how he grabs his feet and just holds them.  Also this past month, Maverick has gone longer through the night without waking up to feed.  If I nurse him around 10pm, he will go to sleep and not wake up to eat until 2 or 3am.  He's up again at 6 or 7am.  He'll often go right back to sleep and be ready to start his day around 10am.  Talk about a good baby!

He is full of smiles for his mommy and other family members.  He's happiest in the mornings.  Even in the wee morning hours when I first greet him in his pack-n-play sleeper he lights up.  It doesn't matter how tired I am, I just glow inside and realize just how worth it it is.  Every day I thank Jesus for my boys.

Jason is so good to help out, too.  I must say I have it made.  He takes the 6am shift and feeds him milk I've pumped and put in a bottle.  Then he'll get him back to sleep before he goes to work at the church.

The only concerns we've had this month are his reflux and watery eyes.  We've had to increase his dose of Zantac because the reflux causes him to make wheezing sounds, almost like he's having some issues catching his breath.  And his eyes have watered since he came home from the hospital.  I'm really praying that it clears up so that we don't have to take him to an eye doctor.  The pediatrician says it is a clogged tear duct.

Maverick is such an active and strong baby.  Throughout the day he just kicks his legs and moves his arms all around.  If you're holding him upright in your lap, he will lift his back off of your chest and try to sit up on his own.  He's pretty good at holding his head up with little assistance. Tummy time is still important.  He continues to roll over at times, and he's really good at supporting his neck. 

He's said all of his vowel sounds (aah, eh, I, oo, uh, etc).  When I start going through the vowels myself it makes him start talking.  He gets so excited; his legs kick, his eyes get wide, and he starts breathing fast.  He loves interaction with us.  And he gets a lot of it up close and personal with his brother.  I think he likes it, so long as Rocco's hair doesn't get in his eyes.  They watch the TV in the nursery together when I put in various cartoon DVDs.  They are buddies already!

Father's Day

Someone at church took this action shot of Jason loving on Maverick.  This was on Sunday when Jason preached.  You can see his ear piece hanging behind his neck on his coat.  This picture says so much to me.  It shows that Jason is a very hands-on dad.  He takes time out of his busy schedule to spend time with his boys that he's so proud of.  Maverick looks so content and safe in his daddy's big arms. Two of God's biggest blessings in my life are pictured here.  Priceless. .  .

Guess who...

Guess who dressed Rocco for church?  It wasn't me!  I like for him to wear a nice, collared shirt and certainly not a hat.  Guess who dressed Maverick for Sunday morning service?  It wasn't Jason.

This picture makes me smile every time I look at it.  While I was dressing Maverick for church in this top-of-the line outfit that was given to us from a friend, Rocco was in his room for a special assignment.  I had asked him to get his clothes ready for church.  When he came to the baby's room, he was so proud that he had dressed himself.  He saluted and said, "Mommy, I'm in the army for the United States."  And then he wanted to take his water gun to church...I don't think so.

Meeting Papaw for Father's Day

My parents live a little over an hour away from us.  Since Maverick is still so young, we decided to meet halfway for Father's Day and have lunch with my dad at Cracker Barrel.  My dad and my niece, Daelyn, met us for the special occasion.  I had the two boys.  

 This was also a special day because it was Daelyn's first time seeing her new cousin, Maverick.  I must say she did a great job of holding his head and neck.  She was very sweet with him.  Here they are for the first time together - she is 3 yrs and Maverick is 2 months old.

 Along with the gifts and cards this year, I also made my dad, papaw, and father-in-law some homemade blackberry cobbler.  These are fresh blackberries from the woods - not the store bought kind.  Jason doesn't eat cobbler-too sad for him. ;)

 After we ate, we went for a swim.  This was a real treat.  This was the first time Rocco has ever been with all of his first cousins at the same time.  Here they are - Rocco and Maverick with their mom's brother's girl and their dad's sister's two kids.

Then once they all had their sunscreen and life jackets on, they went for a little swim.