Hard to Remember. . .

This is a difficult post to make.  These pictures are of Kurt, when he was about four weeks old.  His little friend in this one is about six months old, but she was only two pounds and ten ounces when she was born.  Kurt was eight, four.  But at this point in time, roughly the last week of October 2006, they were the same size.

This picture adds Joshua Florian to the bunch.  He was about five or six months old, and next to these two, he's such a roly-poly little boy.  He stayed chubby and angelic for two precious years, two months and two days from the day of his birth, and then he died, from undiagnosed Addison's disease, in a matter of about four days.  

I'm posting this because his mother, my friend Litzy Florian, has asked me and everyone who knew him, not to let him be forgotten.  We were only a small part of his life, but I was privileged to be there when he was born, and saw him about four or five times with his family and his grandparents throughout his life, because we moved further from their sweet family, but kept in touch.  

Joshie was such an adorable boy!  Everyone who knew him loved him and couldn't help but be swallowed up in his gigantic spirit.  My heart just bled when I found out that he had died so suddenly, especially since my own son is just about the same age.  It sure put into perspective all the trouble I think Kurt causes me and all the frustration I direct his way.

I'd much rather have the frustration, messes, and screaming that mean he's still here for me to love and cuddle, than calm, clean, and quiet without him.  I hope that Joshua's family will always treasure the time that he was able to spend loving them and look forward to being with him again soon.  I hope that I can learn from their example and treasure mine just a little bit more.  

I love you Litzy!!

Magnetix, anyone?

Brynne Adell got a good-sized package of Magnetix for her birthday in June, and was elated.  

Ally has had a few isolated pieces for a few months, but kept them mostly to herself, not allowing anyone to play with them.  So for Brynne to get a set for her b-day was a major coup.

She's been connecting them and building shapes to spin around on the stand that comes with the set.  It is really cool, I think, and magnets are always so entrancing.  She'll get them out and sit on the floor for hours, just playing, enthralled with attaching the bits together.

Arranging the steel marbles in patterns.

And re-arranging them.  She presses them into the carpet and makes little dents in the fibers.

  She concentrates on it and insists on taking pictures.

And then she's done. . .

And they still sit for hours on the floor. . . until Kurt comes and tries to scoop them up.    

At least, stepping on a Magnetix isn't as horrible as stepping on a Lego.  Still.  Neither is fun.

You know that feeling. . .

       When you walk into a room, say your garage, meaning to clean it, but you can't get started because there's just so much to do?  The overwhelming-ness of the task paralyzes you and you just walk back out again.  Apply the same concept to posting stories on your blog.  You seriously can't write one hundredth of the stuff that goes on in your life.  But you've still gotta try.  

        I've got over three thousand pictures on my computer waiting to tell their stories--and that's just since we've had a digital camera.  I know you probably have the same problem.  I guess we just take 'em one at a time and keep trying. . .  Slow and steady, posts the page.

The Boy loves lotion!

Kurt came waltzing into the living room--covered in lotion a few days ago.  He thought it was so funny! 

This is something that happens often.  Predictably, it occurs anytime the lotion is left out and unguarded.  You could almost say it's our fault for leaving the bottle anywhere within his eight- foot reach.

The worst part is:  It is funny, hysterically funny--but you're not allowed to laugh, even though you're getting the camera--because you know that you've got to convey that it's not actually okay to do this, or anything like it.  But when he starts crying so pathetically, it just makes it more laughable.

This one really makes me just want to snuggle him up, poor baby, but he's just so slimey!

Kurt hates getting cleaned off with a wipey.  He screams like it's dipped in acid or something.  Such a sad little boy.  

We love you, mister!  But you just can't have that much lotion!!

Difference in Size and other things

Hello Kurt!  

One thing you experience as you have a new baby is the immediate contrast of how BIG your previous child is compared to your new tiny one.

Now, I know the perspective of this shot is skewed, but look how little she is here!  It could be easily argued that our babies are never actually little, and goes without saying that they don't stay that way, but even a near-nine-pound baby is miniature compared to a near-thirty pound toddler.  

Here's Lily Eilonwy just after her first bath.  Ty always gets to give our babies their first bath and loves slathering them up with lotion afterward.  Another thing about our babies is that they are strikingly ruddy in color for the first couple of weeks, after which they pale to regular skin color.  

This time she wasn't the least bit jaundiced, and I think it was because we passed on the Vitamin K shot.  In the past, our kids have had a couple days of yellowing beneath their redness, but not this time.  I was glad.  There's only so much time you can sit them in the sun, wearing just a diaper.  Babies don't like that much.

Lily Eilonwy's life--the following week

Here's our cute baby, a little older, maybe two or three days after being born.  She's just peeking out of one eye to see what's up with this noisy family she's been born into.  Poor girl.  I apologize to her about ten times a day that she has such overwhelming (read loud and bothersome) siblings.  But hey, she volunteered to come to our family, so . . .

Yeah, she's just going to stay asleep and pretend she doesn't hear us.  Which is, honestly, probably very wise.  Now she's also a SMART baby, not just a CUTE one!    

This picture caught her getting ready for a fight.  It looks like she's going to punch somebody.  "Put up yer dukes, Kurty!" 

On Monday, when Lily was four days old, my mom Verna came with my two youngest sisters to stay for a few days.   She was very helpful and it was great to finally have her able to be with me right after I had a baby.  THANKS MOM!!  

Can you see the clip-on earrings that Ally's got on?  She looks so incredibly grown up like that, and she loves it.  Scares me though.   In this picture, my girls and I have got very long hair.  We cut all of it the week after Mom left, but that's another post.

A contemplative look from tiny girl to adored grandma. 

Hey they even match!!

My sisters Kathryn and Nancy were fantastic help with the kids and loved getting a chance to hold little Lily.  Later in the month, they each came individually to spend about two weeks with us, helping out and having fun.  It was wonderful for me!  How else was I going to read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse in just one week?  I ask you!!

Kurt hasn't got an answer for that one.

But Grandma loves him anyway.  Even when he wears his underwear (please don't call them panties, or Ty will bite your head off!) on top of his clothes.  Poor kid is inundated with super heroes. It must make him a little crazy.  

Give your grandma a kiss, you silly boy!

These little creations are each about the size of a silver dollar, just to illustrate their minute detailing.  Nancy and Kathryn showed Ally, Brynne, and Lizzy how to make "Poogles" with modeling clay.  They spent all day making antennae, wings, bows, flowers, dots, tails, ears, tables, fruit, back packs, chairs, carrots and flying carpets for these teeny little balls with googly eyes. 

I was surprised that they were so engaged by the activity.  It was fun to see them play and pretend while they put together these little guys.  One thing I haven't got a photo of but wish I did, is a taco that Lizzy made for her poogle to eat.  It was so tiny and it even had lettuce! 

So, I feel like you're going to be reading these backward, since you'll start at the top of the page and read down to the older posts, which are about the first part of her (Lily's) life, but I suppose that's how it works.  

  This being said, "the following week" won't follow anything, but will be what most of you begin with, and will therefore precede the preceding post about her birth.  Is anyone still bothering to read this?

A (fifth) child is born!

These are pictures from Lily's first day of life, May 30th, 2008.  She was born at home, at about four in the morning.  This is Elizabeth holding her, while she wears her silly hat--and a rather exhausted expression.  Being born is definitely hard work!

Grandma Morgan was staying with us to help out with the kids, and so got cuddle privileges right off the bat.  She weighed eight pounds, four ounces and was twenty inches long.  She had lots of dark hair that has been slowly rubbed off in the last two months, and has beautiful dark blue eyes.

Lily was very patient and let everyone hold her, even Kurt, who was entranced, if a little freaked-out. 

 He really loved her toes and feet, and kept unwrapping her to see them again.

Checking out the little sister for the first time!  What's she hiding in there?

Later that day, Ty and the other kids made birthday cupcakes for the occasion, with frosting and sprinkles.  

They were delicious!  I remember that Kurt was very meticulous about frosting his cupcake.  

It was funny to watch him try so hard to get it on the top and carefully spread it around with the knife.

  Then he discovered that it was way more fun to use his knife to eat it instead of spread it.  

Here's Alicia demonstrating the fine art of balancing various containers of sprinkles, though using her chin to steady them.  You might call it a leaning tower of sprinkles.  She seems quite pleased with herself.  That's almost as long as her hair has ever been.