Our turn...

Hi everyone! I decided it is time to start our own family blog to keep you updated with photos and commentary. Come back as often as you like. While I'm typing, Erica and Robby have built a fort that spans our entire living room. I'm trying not to look in that direction. :)

Jacob is now almost ten weeks old. After being in the NICU for a week with lots of tubes, losing too much weight after coming home, a clogged tear duct and now a bout with thrush, he is finally turning into a pretty happy kid. He slept 7 hours last night! Rob is the best at coaxing smiles from Jacob, although Erica is a close second.

Robby is hilarious. We recently came across the word "merciful" when reading as a family. He asked what it meant. We explained that if someone takes a toy away and you decide not to get mad, you are being merciful. Without missing a beat, he said, "But mom and dad? When we are bad, you get mad and that's not merciful." He is a smart little boy who keeps amazing us with his grasp of concepts and his memory. He loves digging in the dirt, harassing his sister, jumping off of high places, and "washing" the dishes.

Erica recently graduated from preschool. It was quite the occassion, complete with caps and gowns! She will start Kindergarten in the fall. She is a wonderful helper, especially when I ask her to keep an eye on the baby and talk to him when he gets sad. She is learning to sound out words quite well and can read the first of the "Bob Books" series (highly recommended for beginning readers). She is as bossy as ever and her and Robby get along wonderfully as long as he is in a subservient mood. :)

Rob's research is going well. After a four month bout of playing Mister Mom, he is back in the swing of school. He has written a proposal for a research paper and is awaiting feedback. Meanwhile, he has been taking the older kids jogging with him in the double jogger twice a week, as well as playing handball, Ultimate and raquetball. He's also become pretty handy with a squirt gun. ;)

I am the full-time mother of three kids. Need I say more? It's busy, but I'm enjoying it! If it weren't for the pregnancy/postpartum pain, I think that the transition from 2 to 3 was actually easier than the transition from 1 to 2. My pain is dwindling. It no longer hurts to do stairs, drive or walk around our complex. But if I try to walk more than that, it begins to hurt. I took all three kids to storytime yesterday and we had an enjoyable first outing. I am looking forward to seeing lots of family this summer.

One thing I have been doing a lot of lately is...COOKING! I have really enjoyed experimenting with new recipes. Rob takes the kids running during the hour before dinner, so I have a chance to delve into the kitchen. I never knew cooking could be so fun! I recently tried out chicken recipes from my Aunt Cathy and my friend Amber and they were both delicious! As long as I remember to do the dishes right after dinner, I enjoy the kitchen.

~J