Levi Matthew

Weight: 21 lbs 13oz (57%)

Height: 30.5 in (74%)

Clothes: 18-24 months

Diapers: size 4

Levi turned 1 on June 11th! This little man is the sweetest, happiest, most charming little one year old. Just as his romper says, he is truly Mr. Onederful! 

Levi loves all foods and will eat everything from taco bowls to curry. He eats his vegetables and enjoys all fruit. He is still breastfeeding multiple times a day and is not super excited about whole milk.

Levi loves his family and enjoys waving to new people. He gets very excited when he sees a dog and will happily get close.

He is really good at cheering his siblings on at their sporting events and anytime someone claps, he will happily join in. Whenever we are listening to music in the car, he sings along.

Levi had a hard time with nighttime sleep up until about a month ago and he is finally sleeping through the night! I am so thankful. 

This little guy oozes joy and we all can't get enough. 

He tries so hard to talk and always has so much to say. He makes the best facial expressions and we love when he puts his hands out to tell us that he's curious about something. 

Levi isn't walking on his own yet but walks all around holding onto furniture or pushing his toys. He is starting to stand on his own for little bits of time. Any chance he gets, he makes a fast break for the stairs and loves to crawl up. 

I can't wait to see all the new things Levi learns this year. He is an absolute joy and with his curiosity and mild temperament, he's going to be a pretty awesome 1 year old!

We love you sweet boy!

 

Happy Birthday to my sweet Naomi Kate! She turned 9 on May 26 and we celebrated with her friends last weekend. I haven't blogged in forever! I'm such a creature of habit so once I get out of habit, I have a hard time being consistent but I'm back! Plus, the last several months were all consuming as our foster baby was a very busy toddler and it was almost impossible to get anything done. She went to her adoptive family 2.5 weeks ago which has been a big change for our family since she was in our home for 16 months. Even though saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I've ever done and we all miss her so much,  I have total peace that she is where she is supposed to be. Now, let's get back to Naomi...

On Naomi's birthday, we had some presents and decorations waiting for her when she woke up and we enjoyed her breakfast request of crepes with nutella and peanut butter.

She opened presents and had very cute little helper.

Per Naomi's request, we went to Punch Pizza for dinner. This was our first time at a restaurant (even though only the patio was open for eating) in forever.

After dinner, we went to Naomi's softball game and she got to play catcher!

You can see her cheering squad in the background. Uncle Jake, Brooke, Grandma and Grandpa came to watch the game and even though it was freezing...

we had to end the day with birthday ice cream!

For Naomi's birthday party, she invited her friends from the neighborhood and we rented a bounce house with a water slide (thank goodness since it was 100 degrees)! 

I think the donut themed party was a success! That wraps up another birthday and another year older. Naomi is such a sweet girl with a big heart and truly loves taking care of others. I know 9 is going to be a great year for her!

Here's a peek into our lives over that past month or so. To be completely honest, I'm tired. I love homeschooling but doing it with a baby and a VERY busy toddler is so hard. Also, the cold weather has made it difficult for the kids to burn energy outside so there's a lot of energy burning  messes happening inside. We had Friday and today off of school which has given us all a much needed break between our units. We are all excited to start learning about Europe tomorrow!

Our space unit was so much fun! Moon phases with Oreos was a highlight.

The kids also made their own rendition of The Starry Night.

Mia got to go horseback riding with her friend, Minaal. 

Maxwell continued to be a great big brother and he lost his two bottom teeth!

All 3 kids are continuing to love swim lessons. It's the highlight of the week. 

I love that we have the place to ourselves. One of many positives of homeschooling, we can do our lessons earlier in the day.

Joe and I had an at home date and the kids set the table for us which was so sweet! It's been over a year since Joe and I have been on a proper date so we'll take what we can get.

I chopped 12 inches off of my hair! Talk about refreshing. Even though I love long hair, it has been so nice  and easier to manage in this busy season.

Joe is still working from home which is so nice so he doesn't have to add a commute to his already long work day. 

Seriously, how'd I get so lucky to be the momma to all of these kiddos?!?

Levi continued to get stronger this month,

Maxwell has become a master fort builder,

the babies and I walked outside a couple of times (when it was above 30 degrees),

and one of the many blessings of this past year is how COVID has given these 3 so many opportunities to spend lots of time together and bond.

I leave you with a few cute pics of Levi because he'll put a smile on anyone's face...