Older

They are. Getting older, that is.

All taller, bigger, more mature..branching out...learning in leaps and bounds

Loving each other, loving God, loving this baby we are waiting for...

{The oldest}

...sometimes serious

sometimes definitely not...

wearing adult sized shoes

and the largest size there is in boy clothes...

growing into his new body...

never without his pocket knife or his machete if we are heading out of doors for the day

Taking on new leadership roles with his siblings

voluntarily helping his little sister with things around the house

putting her to bed some nights

(this will come in REALLY handy when Daddy and I are exhausted from nights up with a baby!)

Cooking some meals

fixing and serving breakfast on lots of mornings when Mommy is so tired from sleepless pregnant nights

Quickly and quietly getting his school work done and excelling on his violin

Really good at arguing...in a good way

It just comes naturally, his way of thinking outside the box,

looking at things from a different perspective...

Sometimes it comes across as disrespectful

(and sometimes it actually is)

but sometimes I'm genuinely surprised at how much logic flows out of his head!

Mix of child and man, still with a tender heart

Still mold-able and teachable...

Oh Lord, give us the wisdom to train him up in the way he should go!

{The younger son}

 Always funny...always smiling...except when he isn't...

Sensitive and snuggly

still has traces of "little boy" lingering

but fast approaching big brother

Really has a head for numbers

but hates math...

 Still finds reading challenging...and really would rather be playing during read-aloud time...but then again, what 8 year old boy wouldn't?!

Able to work more independently...and becoming much more independent in social settings.

I can hardly believe this is the same child who, only a year ago, would not leave my side at our co-op!

Still fascinated by food...

 Lego food, Playmobile food, real food, Food Network...

Will he be a chef? Is it because of his allergies?

Much less sensitive to lots of foods now, eats eggs regularly, oats with no problem, raw grass fed milk and cheese, still problems with corn

 Beginning to be his own little person, thoughts and interests uniquely different from his once-mirror brother...extremely funny and original

Still quite the artist...excellent handwriting...

Vacillates wildly between adoration of his little sister and complete disdain

Fascinated with facts and information about the new baby coming

He remembers the one we lost, keeps track of how old it would be now...

 "Mommy, I love you so much!" is heard daily...

Oh Lord, give us patience and tenacity to see him through this shift, and to gently guide him to the next phase in his growth...

{The girl}

Definitely a girl with brothers...

heading rapidly towards six

growing so tall

looking not so much like a chubby preschooler any more

Still the mix of sweetness and wild wind

Princess tomboy...

Budding little mommy...excellent helper in the kitchen

I find dollies put to bed and animals being fed in all corners of her room...

along with dirty clothes strewn...

Madly in love with this baby in my belly...talking to it through my belly button is a daily occurrence

Discussions of sharing her room are not going well, but she loves the idea of possibly a little sister...

Still somewhat of a picky eater, needs her pants glued to the chair during a meal...

Mommy needs to crack down on some manners...

Reading amazingly well, drawing and writing...coloring all the time...

loves her school books...but not always interested...

Champion fort-builder

Lover of ALL types of animals, even the ugly scary looking ones...

Still some sensory issues with clothes, although she proclaimed that she now "Loves socks!" 

Can ride a bike, jump rope, play chess, swim underwater...roller skate...

Amazes me every day with her insight and intuition WAY older than she is...

LOVES Dada and Papa (or "Popes", as she calls him right now)

Calls them on the phone on her own daily...treats them to long, syrupy messages, or long one-sided conversations that mostly consist of, "Now I'm walking around. Now I'm in my bedroom. Now I'm in the kitchen..."

Recently painted me a picture of her and I and said, 

"Mommy, the reason I made this for you is because I am loving that you are having a baby and I love having a Mommy like you!"

Lord, please aid us in protecting her innocence, give us grace to follow through on our parenting...

These precious blessings from God, on loan to us for a time, to nurture, train up, protect...

What an honor, privilege and amazing responsibility...

So humbling that the Heavenly Father would give me, lil' ole' me, a chance to cherish an eternal soul...