Leads with his Head

Wyatt is all banged up today. He ran headlong into a door latch Trying to beat Noah out of the house. It left a pretty good goose egg. It is right under his cow lick so I can't hide it with hair. Then he crashed his bike. He was staring at a police car, hit a curb and busted his lip. His face, arm and bike were covered in blood. He felt pretty tough and showed it off to a little boy in our neighborhood. His mother was very concerned and offered to clean him up. But we finished the ride. Poor Wyatt, his injuries seem to happen in sets.

8GB is a lot!

So I just realized I haven't downloaded photos off my camera since April! There is such a thing as having too much memory. I can fit so much on my new camera and card that I never remember to download and then I totally forget what is on it. The good news it that I am going to do some serious photo dumping in the next week or so. Be prepared to see lots of new pics here and on my Flickr. I'll try to post the best ones on my SmugMug as well. FYI- if you have a Snapfish account (it's free), you can order prints of any of my Flickr photos. Or, you can order really nice frame-quality prints through SmugMug.

These are this year's attempt at bluebonnet photos. They could be better. Sam was only a month or so old and not at all happy with the bright light and itchy flora. I gave up getting the 'perfect' shot of him. I had to nurse him in the middle of the chigger filled field and then try to get him happy in the arms of his wiggly brothers. And he kept spitting up. Oh well. These are just a few. More on Flickr when I get around to it!

Park

At the park with the boys. We love going to the park while everyone else is in school. We have it all to ourselves!

See Sam Sit

Sam is sitting on his own now! He is 5 and a half months old. I don't know if that is early or not and I don't really remember what the other boys did. I think he is pretty on target. Anyhow, he now seems a little happier with life. If I sit him in front of me, with his back to me and a couple toys within reach, then I can slip away without him noticing. When he does, he gets very upset. Sometimes he insists on sitting with one hand on my knee just to make sure I don't go anywhere.
The next photo is of Noah and Wyatt entertaining themselves after their baths tonight. I found them sitting like this in their chairs in the middle of the room, facing the radio which was blaring 'Jesus, Lover of My Soul'. They said they were 'rocking out'. Don't they look like they are really 'rocking out'?! Especially Noah! I just laughed and complimented their hairdos.

Cow Appreciation Day

Dress like a cow today and you get a free meal at Chick-fil-a! What a deal!

Baths, Toes and Good Conversation!

Tonight was bath night for Sam. He is so wriggly and crazy, I can't bathe him in a baby bathtub or the sink. So he has to get baths with one of the boys. They hold him in their lap while I bathe him. Tonight was Noah's turn (Wyatt and Noah beg to take baths with Sam). He was very smiley. It is somewhat unusual for Sam to be so smiley when I am not holding him or paying full attention to him. Often he stops smiling when I put the camera to my face. Partly because my face is out of sight and partly because of the flashy red light on my camera. But tonight he was loving his bath and his silly brothers. Held by Noah and entertained by Wyatt. He fits right in! Sam is not the easy going third child I was hoping for. Instead he is clingy. That is not bad, it is just Sam. He loves to be held all the time. It would drive me completely nuts except that he sleeps good at night and in his own room. At least I just have to hold him when he is awake. He likes to be in the middle of everything- not off to the side in a bouncy seat. He is a doer, not an observer. Recently he has learned to grab. He grabs at everything. I remember Wyatt at this stage. We called him 'Elasto-baby' after ElastiGirl in 'The Incredibles' because he seemed to get ahold of things that should have been way out of his reach. Mom says Sam just doesn't like being a baby. He is ready to move on. She might be right. He doesn't particularly like nursing, he is already getting everywhere by rolling (nearly crawling), he hates anything that reclines or restrains him (like bouncy seats, car seats, bumbos, saucers, swings, ya know- all that baby stuff!), he must stand when you hold him while seated and he would rather play with a metal utensil than any silly baby toy. Or maybe he is just more like Greg than the other boys. I thought I had my 'little Greg' with Wyatt, but Sam is Greg-er. He will be a lot of fun the older he gets. Wyatt is a hoot. He cracks us up all the time. Just watching him walk through the room is entertainment. Wyatt pretends his fingers and toes are little people and plays out funny little stories, he likes to experiement with different ways to walk and jump, he loves to comb his hair in new dos, etc. He has a great imagination and we get to see and hear it because he is constantly talking, making sound effects and moving. Like a little one man show.
Since I just spent so much time writing about Wyatt and Sam, I should say a few words about Noah. Noah is still my Mr. Responsible. He loves to help out around the house and with Sam. He likes to be real. He doesn't pretend and create little stories like Wyatt. His favorite cars to play with are the ones that you see on the road everyday. He never role plays with little lego people or objects- unless he is playing along with Wyatt. He likes to build with legos using the instructions and exactly the right pieces only. He enjoys good conversation and fine cusuine (really, he has excellent taste buds!). He would rather interact with the people around him than go off and make beleive. He is a good listener and a thinker- at least for a 7 year old boy! I just love how completely different Noah and Wyatt are. I can't wait to see how Sam operates!
Noah has just acquired the appetite that every mother-of-boys has warned me about. He eats all day long. It is amazing how much he can get into that skinny little body. I can't imagine how it will be when he is 13! I will be making lots of bean soup and oatmeal so I don't go broke!
It is late. Check out Flickr for more photos!

Love in a Onsie

After the last post, my friend Christie sent me a photo of her little boy smiling in the same outfit! Here it is. It is a well-used outfit. Looking through her old blog posts it is so funny how many of those clothes have been past back and forth and I just love the memories they bring back of my boys. Many of Sam's clothes have been passed from Jon Conal (now 10), to Noah, to Ben, to Wyatt, to Zach & Jordan (friends of ours), to Cameron, to Jayden and then to Sam. Not to mention all the new things added to the stash with each birth- so much stuff that this time around I split it all up between myself and another friend with a baby the same age as Sam. It just reminds me of how blessed I am to have such close, wonderful family and friends there to support us- in the little things, like baby clothes, but also in the big things like pouring out love on a 4lb foster baby for 9 months without knowing if he would stay. I can't imagine trying to raise a family without all of you. And special thanks to Mimi (and Ben's Mimi!) who has purchased a large majority of the baby boy traveling wardrobe! I kinda hope Dori has a boy so I can pay it forward again.

Caliche, Dump Trucks and Backhoes, oh my!

They are spreading new caliche on the roads here at the ranch. It is keeping every boy in a two mile radius totally entertained. Here are the boys and their second cousins watching with fascination.

Compare

Smile!

Here is Sam's first on camera smile! He's wearing the same outfit as Wyatts first camera smile. I'll have to find that pic and post it too. Or just look back in my archives. I started this blog about the time Wyatt was born. Getting this photo I realized that Sam has to wiggle to smile, making it hard to take a clear shot. I bet he is going to shake when he laughs just like Greg!

Sick Sam I Am

Sam has been pretty sick for the last few days. He is on his third night with a fever. Today he was stuck, poked, and tortuously xrayed. He has two ear infections and, as far as we can tell, a really awful cold. Here he is being very sweet for having such a hard day. He is not so peaceful right now or else I wouldn't be up at 11 blogging.

Sick baby

Sam is sick. This is the best pic I can get by my self while holding him. He is very sweet sick. He eats a little and sleeps a lot (in my arms of course) and even smiles for me in between. He lost his 'voice' so his cry are little squeaks. He opens his mouth wide to give a big cry and all that comes out is a sad little 'eee'. Funny how if this was 7 years ago with Noah I would be panicked but with the fourth baby I am amused and endeared. Don't worry, he is eating good and doesn't have a fever.

Click!

Here are a few photos from an impromptu photo session. I have been trying very hard to capture Sam's smile. However, he is mesmorized by the red blinky light on my new flash. He is all smiles until I start clicking. When he actually enjoys being outside where I don't need the flash, maybe I will have better luck. Take a look at my Flickr for more pics.
Cute story for this post: The other morning we had our usual Flax seed waffles (I squeeze healthy stuff in wherever I can) for breakfast. Afterwards Wyatt came up to me with a tiny seed on his finger. He said "look what I found in my teeth!"
"Yuck. Why don't you throw that away." I replied
"I'm saving it."
"Why?"

Wyatt, with a proud grin, "When it gets warm, I am going to put it in the garden and grow a waffle plant!"

What a great idea!

Wyatt pulling Noah on roller skates with an old bike tube.

Sam Joseph Godsey Makes His Entrance

Here is our little Sam. Born on 1/26/10 at 11:37pm. 7lbs 12oz and 20.5". He looks A LOT like Wyatt. I'll have to dig up a newborn photo of Wyatt and post them side by side. He is a sweet, sweet baby- of course. His birth was a blessing and those who have surrounded us with help, love and prayer are a blessing. It has been such an awesome start to his little life.

Read Greg's blog: http://rideonegear.blogspot.com
I can't possibly express our feelings any more perfectly than he already has!

Boys x 3

I got the boys all cleaned up and lookin' good last night so I could take some photos of them. Lately, I have done many photo shoots of other people's kiddos and have not taken any of my own in forever. Plus, I got a new camera for Christmas that I just now have found time to play with! I LOVE it! It takes video as well, so my blog may expand its media!
Bigger news on the horizon is that baby #3 is due on Monday!! Who knows when that means he will actually arrive, but I will be sure to post ASAP. Better yet, keep up with Greg's blog. He is much better at staying on top of blogging these days. So with my new video capabilities the third baby will have a video record of his childhood. I know, welcome to the 21st century. I've enjoyed learning more and getting better at my photography that I haven't really wanted to do video. But now it is so much easier and more accessible with being able to take digital video that you can put directly on your computer.
Using this blog, I'd also like to keep a 'record' of some of the funny things the boys say. Wyatt is by far the most creative. He wants to drive around a cement truck when he gets older. We were talking about hunting the other day at dinner (while eating venison) and he said when he grew up and had his cement truck he would drive it to buy his gun and take it back to his 'cement palace'. We laughed at the thought of him pulling up to a gun store in a cement truck to make a purchase. Greg said we named him appropriately (even though I think 'Bubba' may be better suited!).
After having some pains in Target the other day, Noah said very seriously and with much concern on his face "I feel like I need to lay on the ground under you just in case the baby slips out!" He is petrified (phobia-like) of pain and blood and he is very worried about my upcoming labor. He definitely will not be around for ANY of it. He is so dramatic.