We left my computer with the "doctor" so we'll see what happens. I'm pretty sure I won't be getting a Christmas card/photo/letter out any time soon...seeing how it's almost Christmas and all! And I can't get to any of my pictures. So I'll try to type up a little Christmas letter here. We'll see how far I get before I get interrupted!
Aaron is still at the College. He had a very busy travel season this year (which I did NOT like being 8+ months pregnant during that time!). Their enrollment numbers are still going up, so he's doing a great job! His second job keeps him busy as well, but he says it's kind of nice to have a basically stress-free, mindless job to do (not completely on either counts obviously...). His hard work and intense focus have helped us pay off a lot of debt very quickly, considering our situation! I'm so proud of how hard he works to provide for us. We are currently praying about buying a bigger house. We're bursting at the seams here, but we'll see where God takes us! Aaron still plays on his summer league softball team and of course plays Fanstasy Football. In his non-existent spare time he runs (still doing the half marathon each summer!) and plays with his favorite kids. They love playing with Daddy, whether it's dancing to Bob & Larry, going for bike rides and runs, playing ball, or playing a silly game Anna makes up...they just love their Daddy!
I am trying to get into the swing of three kids!! It's been more of an adjustment that I thought it would be. I'm a lot more tired this time around I think, even though the recovery has been by far the quickest and easiest (don't tell Mom, but I did a load of laundry the night we got discharged from the hospital!). It was a rough start with Isaac, but we are so thankful that his stay in the NICU was short and he is very healthy. Time is flying by quickly and I try to remember to soak up these newborn moments, even in the dead of night when I'm exhausted. For now I've quit my Guidepost job. I told them I was off until at least January and we'll see from there. It's nice to know the job is there if I need/want it back but right now I can't imagine adding any other responsibility to my plate! I'm looking forward to the new year and getting back into our ladies' Bible study.
Anna is loving kindergarten! I can't believe she's in school. We decided to only send her half days to start with...she is far ahead of most in her class thanks to Mrs. Z so we weren't worried about the academic side of it. We really felt that she wasn't ready to be in school all day. And she hasn't been. She's always been given the chance to stay all day if there is something special going on in the afternoon, but she always opts not to. One day a couple weeks ago I had her stay all day (they had program practice). When I picked her up at the end of the day and asked how her first full day was, she said "It was fun. But boy I'm tired!" She still naps almost every day-doesn't always sleep but more times than not she does. We plan to send her all day after Christmas, so we'll see how that goes! I'm sure it will take her a week or two to get used to it. She's had some adjustments to make with friends. She's learning how to make to friends and get along--they don't let her boss them around like Jacob does! :) There are some days when she tells me about things that happen that I just want to keep her at home and protect her from any unkindness...she's such a sweet girl!! But I know they are lessons she'll have to learn at some point. Nobody warned me about this! Anna Rose has been a HUGE help with Isaac. She's always willing to hold him or feed him if I need her to and she absolutely loves it. She thinks she's pretty big stuff now that she's big enough to walk around with him and even burp him on her own! I'm not sure how much longer she'll be able to walk with him at the rate he's growing! It's been a bit of a rough adjustment for her with a new baby at home. She loves him but adjusting to the shift in family dynamics has been hard. And I think coming off several months full of change (Aaron traveling a lot, starting school, new baby) has a lot to do with it. I'm repeating "consistency" over and over to myself most days! We're getting there and she just melts my heart with the kind things she says and does when I least expect it.
Jacob is such a joy and a challenge. His speech is improving by leaps and bounds! He's been going to preschool 2 mornings a week for speech therapy. He loves school! He is the complete opposite of Anna when it comes to mornings. Even if he's a bit grumpy, he's still cooperative and basically in a good mood. And he wants to eat. Right. Away. There was a time Anna would wait for hours before being hungry for breakfast. Not Jacob! He went through several phases for breakfast food...pancakes, shredded wheat. Now it's oatmeal. And if he doesn't finish it, I put it in the fridge and he'll eat it as his morning snack...cold! He adores Isaac and LOVES to hold him. The challenging part about Jacob is that he got just enough of my stubbornness and just enough of Aaron's one track mind!! But he has a soft heart most of the time. Although there are times when he flat out says "give me 'panking!" That could be trouble!! His favorite things are still John Deere (of any kind) and Thomas the Train. He had a blast riding with Uncle Terry and Aunt Cara during harvest this summer. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he becomes a farmer (or is involved in agriculture in some way) when he grows up. It's like it's ingrained in his DNA! He's very content to play by himself and still lets Anna boss him around when they play together. I'm waiting for the day that doesn't happen...
Isaac is growing by the second, it seems! He eats and eats. He has outgrown his newborn sized clothes but 0-3 months are still a bit long. He outgrew newborn diapers long ago and is almost out of size 1! I think he's going to be a big boy like Jacob. His sleep hasn't been quite as good since I bragged on him (that's what I get!) but still good for most 5 week olds! He is really starting to interact with his surroundings. He is so close to smiling and cooing! He tries really hard to make a sound sometimes but can't quite get it out. He is fascinated by the Christmas lights. He did a pretty good job traveling this weekend, too so I'm praying that remains the trend through all of our Christmas traveling! He's a sweet, sweet baby and I can't imagine life without him! What a blessing God has given us in all of our children.
May this "letter" find each of you enjoying the Reason for this season, being mindful of what it means and taking to heart the love Christ has for His children! (and cue baby crying...that's the end!)
Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!
