Talking and Walking....



Things continue to get more fun (and loud, and crazy!) at our house as the boys get more active.  Andrew is now walking all over with the rest of the guys.  He's a little more unsteady, but he's getting it, and he is SO proud of himself (and so are we....).  Also, everyone is starting to talk more, which is such a riot.  We usually have our best talks when I am getting their food ready and they are all in their seats.  I say "who can say mama?"  And three little voices say "mama!" And we go through "dada", "bye bye", "no no," "uh oh", etc.  Micah talks the most.  When they are done eating, I say, "Are you all done?", and they say "All Done!"  SO sweet!

 

They LOVE reading books!  A lot of times I'll find them looking at books all by themselves.  They were being so sweet this day...sharing books and reading each others.  A, D, M

 

 Afternoon snack...drinking bottles and watching cartoons.  We're trying to transition to one nap instead of two right now b/c they weren't sleeping well at night (waking up WIRED at 3 a.m., etc).  It's a tough transition, but I think we're getting there! 

 We put the babies in sleep sacks at night for bed, and they got bigger ones for Christmas that have leg holes in them to (best things ever!), so they can walk in them.  They look hilarious, though!  Here's Micah running around in his.  Looks like he's wearing a baby robe.

 Little Micah man reading books....I'd say he loves them the most...  This picture also shows how good his head is looking!  He's still wearing his helmet at night, but we're down to only having it on 5 hours/day, so that's so much better.  We're so sick of it at all, though.  Can't wait to be done, but we figure we might as well finish strong if it's going to continue to make it better.  More hair is helping, too. 

A few things about MIcah.  He is a crazy man!  His personality has changed so much since he was a baby.  He runs everywhere now.  Walking is too slow.  He's just this little roly poly guy who babbles constantly, and walks with his eyes squinted closed a lot, and barrels into the ball pit at full force, and gives me the hugest, wettest kisses ever.  He loves it when I lay on the floor and then he attacks me and makes farting noises on my cheeks.  He's such a hoot!

Tyler watching Little Einsteins....his favorite show!



 Tyler is very in to keeping things clean right now (Oh great....is he going to be totally organized like his daddy?!)  He's been asking me for a rag to clean up the floor after the babies eat lately.  He's got a lot of work to do!  :)

Derek continues to be hilarious.  He does really funny things, like puts blankets on his head all the time, stands behind me until I notice him and then bursts out laughing, and "winks" a lot (which is squinting and blinking both eyes).  He does things to make us or his brothers laugh, and his laugh alone could send anyone into hysterics.  He has the cutest personality ever!  But he also is....how should I put this....he's naughty.  Like he tries to be naughty already. Isn't it early for this?  Lately he's been taking two huge handfuls of the little pieces of food on his tray, pausing to look right at me to be sure I see him, and then dropping them onto the floor.  When I say, "no no, Derek," (usually at this point Andrew is shaking his head "no no" as well) he does the same thing again.  Stinker!  Here he is on spaghetti night.  Everyone loved it, but they all went straight to the tub afterwards!

Seriously, Derek, we can't do baths after EVERY meal!  :)

Uncle Mike (Evan's brother) doing double duty with Andrew and Micah. Andrew is just such a little sweetie. He gives the tightest squeezes and is always the first to want to snuggle. Now that he can walk, though, he's much less content sitting by me. He's kind of an instigator of trouble, though, too. He makes Micah and Derek scream by taking toys from them, and we find him tackling them a lot, too (which sometimes makes them laugh, and sometimes makes them scream). :) He weighs the least, but he definitely can hold his own. You gotta be tough to live at the Anema's (I need to start lifting weights.). 

I love this one.  Three little brothers snuggled up watching Praise Baby.  So content just being close to each other.  Best buddies forever.  Wouldn't that be a fun way to go through life?  Derek, Andrew, Micah

 

My little buddy Tyler.  We went outside and shoveled snow one day when the babies were napping and we needed to have some hot cocoa when we came back in.  We have so much fun together.  He tells me the best stories ever (usually about a huge, huge, huge, humongous buldozer).  The other night he told God in his prayer at dinner that he was thankful for the chicken, the babies high chairs, and that mommy let him watch Little Einsteins.  Amen.  

 It's important to wear bunny ears when you're driving your train. Andrew, Tyler, Derek

 Derek.  Cutest little train passenger ever.

 Evan's dad and mom came and did some more work on our entry way project.  He had a lot of helpers.  So cute!  They all wanted to be by him, but Tyler is honestly just amazed by Grandpa Marv.  Sometimes he can hardly speak when he's around him (b/c he does construction work, drives tractors, has pigs at his house....all things that are amazing if you're Tyler).

Why shouldn't ALL 4 boys get in the tub together?  Really.  M, A, D, T.
After bath time, I am totally drenched.  Half from sweat (it's a TON of work!), and half from the half of the bath tub that gets emptied during bath time.