It has been quite a few months since I have wrote what has been going on with our family. After having Mr. Boo things have just been crazy. Jed is currently working many, many jobs to help support our family while he is still waiting on a officer job. He was offered a Reserve position on the Lafayette Police Force, so there is a possibility there. He is serving on the Elder's Quorum Presidency at church. He just started taking Zeke fishing, which they have enjoyed their time spent away from us girls :) Nothing really new is going on with me...just trying to keep my head above water with the 5 kids, laundry, cleaning and work here and there from my dad. Adjusting to another baby in the house hasn't been to hard, its more of the nursing that is the problem because he eats so often that I feel like I can't go anywhere. I am counting down until school starts this year...I will be 2 kids during part of the day and then once January hits I will have...get this...ONE kid for a 3 hours EVERY day, I am not sure what I will be doing with my time :) Sleeping maybe...
Zeke
He is getting so big, he reminds me almost daily that he is not 7 but 7 and a HALF...then he will pause and say, "basically, almost 8." He is entering into 2nd grade this year, can I really be that old to have a 2nd grader! He is very excited. He has been playing all types of sports this past year but his favorites are basketball and football. He enjoys playing outside, riding his bike, playing with his sisters (sometimes) and is just an all around happy kid. He is getting so smart, reading easy chapter books and loves writing songs and notes. He is involved in a reading group at the library. Zeke has learned how to swim over the past few summers and enjoys diving for all types of things at the bottom of pools. I am reminded all the time how much I love him by how much he helps me at home. He is gotten weekly jobs, that for the most part does without complaining. He is a very big helper with his sisters and now his brother, Beckett. Zeke was so excited to finally be a BIG BROTHER to a BROTHER. He talks about all the things that he wants to do with him once he is older. He says he can't wait to share a room..."once he sleeps through the night." We love our Zekers so much and I don't know what I do without him!
Tatum
The girl with spunky-ness...attitude...and spark! Our little Tator Tots turn 5 a few months ago which means she is going into Kindergarten! I can't believe that my little girl is going to school, it really seems like yesterday she was a baby. Tatum is definitely a humor in our house, she loves to make people laugh, perform and basically wants all the attention on her :) She is sweet, silly, smart and fun! She gets along with everyone in the house and loves playing with her siblings. She just finished her dance recital in June, which she LOVES doing. She enjoys performing in front of people. She also played soccer this past spring with Braia. She has so much fun, mostly because the team consisted of mostly boys. She is already boy-hungry and we are worried...This past July we had a family reunion and I was telling all the kids that there are gonna be a tons of kids there that are their ages, well, Tatum turns to me and with her shy-twinkling eyes she says, "Will there be...5 year old...boys there?" with a big smile! I had to remind her that they are RELATED! hehe She is definitely a fun child and we love her so much! Our house would be so dull without her!
Braia
Our chocolate Bear, we have always told Bray that she is so special because she is the only one in the family with "chocolate eyes" so she tells everyone that her eyes are chocolate (not brown). She is so special. She has the sweetest, kind heart. She is willing to help anyone and loves to be around others. She makes friends SO easy, she'll just go up to anyone at the park, pool, etc. and start playing. I wont ever have to worry about her making friends at school BUT I might have to worry about bullying :) She stands up for herself...maybe a little too much. For some reason, unlike Tatum, she HATES boys...so at the park, for example, she would go up to a boy and point while shaking her head (like someone on Ricky Lake) saying "This is my slide, do not go on my slide, I do not like you..." I have to always remind her to be nice to everyone...even boys! I'm sure that will change as she gets older :)- Being the middle child, I think that she just thinks she has to stand up for herself first or else someone might take advantage of her. Anyways, she starts Pre-Kindergarten this fall at Zee and Tay's school...she is excited to go to Fireside. This preschool requires everyone one to be tested to see what they know...she tested SO well, that the teacher told me that she was basically as smart as most 6 year olds, well, I should have never told her that because she walks around saying, "I'm as smart as a 6 year old, right mom!?" It drives Tatum crazy, that I finally had to tell her that she was as smart as a 7 year old! Braia also participated in dance this year and REALLY enjoyed dancing on recital night, she felt so special and did SO well. She played soccer with Tatum and her BF Courtney this past spring, she liked it but is definitely a girly-girl. WE all love our teeny-tiny baby and can't wait for the new things she learns over the next year.
Adleigh
What can I say about my big Shark-Teethed girl! Adleigh will be 3 in the next few months...she has had a rocky past 3 years. She finally got tubes put in April of 2009 and her ears have been MUCH better, she definitely isn't visiting the doctor as often. Around her 18 month old appointment I mentioned to her doctor that she really isn't talking, she said really nothing, just screamed. He said to wait a few months and then we can have her tested. Well, come to find out that she had SO much damage from the chronic ear infections that she was mostly deaf for the first 18 months of her life...no wonder I was always calling her name and she never responded. She started speech therapy last November and I can't even explain the change in her. I was so worried that there were other problems going on with her...mostly autism, she showed a ton of signs for it. After, 2 months of speech therapy, all of those signs disappeared, gratefully! She is wonderful and TALKING! Never...stops...talking...Even though our family is still the only one that can understand everything she says. She is caught up in age on words but she has a hard time with pronunciation. She will start preschool this fall through BVSD because of her speech impediment. She still isn't potty trained and at this point not sure if she ever will...every time I ask her if she wants to go potty or wear panties, she says, "No, diapers...I like 'em!" :( Adleigh is obsessed with dance and can't wait to start taking classes this fall/winter. She is a very active child and loves trying to keep up with her older siblings. She is still very tiny but if you ask her she is BIG. I can't believe that she will be starting primary in January, she just seems so young! We love our add-a-licous and our house would DEFINITELY be quiet without our silly, goofy 2 year old!
Beckett
Our newest family addition, who has definitely made a splash into our family! Not only coming unexpectedly 5 weeks early BUT is as stubborn as they come...I was guessing that my fifth child would be more laid back and go-with-the-flow but no, not Mr. Boo...he is HERE and he wants everyone to know :) He is getting so big, he weighed 12lbs 1oz last weekend when we went to Children's Hospital...he was breathing funny and so I took him in and of course he had croup and needed steroids. Yes, he is FINALLY a member of our family (we joke that you can't really be in our family unless you take a trip to the ER and have a hospital stay, check...and check...) Mr. Bee is smiling and will even giggle if you try really hard! He has a great personality that is starting to show. He is MY baby...yes, another on my side...the girls all love their Daddy and the boys want me! He isn't sleeping through the night because of me...I let him sleep with me all night long, so if Jed trys and sneaks him into his crib (mostly without me knowing, I'm sleeping) he will wake up within 30 minutes and is back cuddling with momma, everyone says that he is gonna be spoiled and have a hard time getting out of our bed BUT isn't that what we are suppose to do with our babies, spoil them rotten!? I have succeed with the past 4, I might as well hold up the tradition. We love our Beckers and look forward to the changes and growth he has to come in the next few months!
