James is 7 on February 5th, 2017 and Jude 3 1/2 December 7th, 2016:
Happy 7th Birthday, James! As I think back on your birth and the early years with you in our family my mind is just flooded with such sweet memories and my heart is filled with joy, gratitude, and just a twinge of sadness (at how fast the years are flying by.) I still remember like it was yesterday your newborn face when you were placed in my arms and my tears that flowed freely, your first steps that quickly turned to running everywhere you went and people's comments, confirming what I felt, that you had more energy than any toddler they had ever known, your white-blonde toddler hair, your love for mama (you were my little shadow and we did everything together!) and other first loves/obsessions in your preschool years like Mickey Mouse, Thomas the Train, and Little Einsteins, your love for books and the piles of books that we would read together (and that you would "read" in the sweetest voice after we had read them so much you just memorized them!), your comments so wise beyond your years and your little old man ways, and all the unique, quirky things that you have always embraced and that mama had the joy of knowing - you've always been confident in just being uniquely James!
You were our first baby and every new stage was new territory for your Daddy and I and I know at times I doubted my decisions and I'm sure we made mistakes, but today as I think about the SEVEN year old James that we celebrate I praise God that by His grace we are blessed with such a wonderful baby turned LITTLE BOY. A little boy that is compassionate, creative, smart (your math skills and vocabulary still amaze me in our little homeschool classroom every day), helpful, witty, athletic, confident, loving, gifted musically, strong-willed and determined, intense, innocent, and quirky - there is no one in the world like you!
At SEVEN I am totally over the moon with your grin revealing both baby teeth and "man teeth," your helpfulness, friendship, and leadership with your brothers, your gift of mercy and compassion for others (like the orphan) that bring tears to your eyes and inspire us to action, listening to you read or play the piano or watching you score a goal in a basketball game and progress daily in so many ways right before our eyes, and the funny things that you say daily without even trying to be funny. Today as we celebrate SEVEN years I don't have to be sad as I look back on all the precious days that brought us to this point, because I believe that your future ahead is so bright! I am believing that you are going to be a world-changer. And I am seeing glimpses of how you embody your name, James, with faith and works (boldly LIVING out your faith and challenging us!) And recognizing now how your determined, strong-will that was a challenge when you were having fits in the floor as a toddler and your energy that still never quits, God created you with for a very special reason and my prayer is that you would use every part of who he made you "to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8). I just know this world will be better because of you...because of Jesus in you!
I love you, James! I am so grateful to God for the exact boy that you are and that of all the mamas in the world He chose me to have the special privilege to raise you. I am excited to continue walking with you this next year and celebrating all that God is doing in and through you. We love you forever and ever and ever!
Love (with a love that never grows tired!),
Mama and Daddy (and Jude and Joah too!)
Favorites according to James:
Colors: blue, green, purple, and golden
Animal: Dog and Snake
TV Show: Star Wars Rebels
Movie: The Force Awakens
Food: Hotdogs
Drink: Tea (only on special occasions!)
Breakfast Food: Cinnamon Rolls
Desserts: Brownies
Outfit: Yoda "size matters not" shirt and Shirt that shows "My battery is full and my parents is empty!"
Toys: Leapfrog Tablet, Army Men, and Star Wars toys, and play doh
favorite holiday: Christmas and Halloween
place to go: Let's Play
favorite resteraunt: Arby's and Subway
where do you want to go on vacation?: the beach!
What grade are you in? First
Where do you like to go for fun with your family:fun activities like Let's Play, Park, McWane Center, and Zoo
Subject in School: Math
Sport: soccer
Wearing: XS or Small in boys, size 6 in pants and gets away with smaller shorts, size 1-1.5 in shoes
Growth: he just went for a sick visit a month after he turned 7 (no well visits were available until later!) and he was 48 inches and 48 pounds (this is his biggest jump in weight ever...gained less than two pounds from 5-6 but gained about 8 pounds this year!)
Look: dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, tall and slender, he has lost his two top, front teeth in the last few months which really changes his look
New this year: reading very well, playing soccer and basketball, taking piano lessons, and losing his baby teeth, learned to tie his own shoe
Jude turned 3 and a half in December 7:
Wearing: 3T or 4T in clothing and size 11 in shoes
Growth: he has a shorter and more muscular build than the other two, very unofficially he is about 40 inches and 35-ish pounds
Sleeping: He is still taking an afternoon nap but some days it is more of a struggle to get him to fall sleep when he used to just fall asleep immediately so those days may be numbered. He is our earliest riser most of the time and is usually up before 7 am. He sleeps pretty well in his bunk bed most nights but still comes and climbs in our bed in the early morning hours a lot of days but I don't *think* he is sleep walking anymore.
Eating: His favorite food is probably fruit and then dairy (cheese and yogurt)! He is not a huge meat eater but will eat turkey lunch meat, chicken nuggets, Arby's sandwiches, hotdogs, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He likes cheese pizza a lot. He also has a huge sweet tooth and I would say candy is his sweet of choice for now of cookies and milk. He does not eat vegetables very well right now so we are working on that! He is also not a big carb eater either.
Personality: he is still easy going by nature but has that THREENager thing going on right now so he can be very stubborn, independent, and just not as go with the flow as he used to be. He has a little glimmer in his eyes when he smiles and he just always looks up to something and is very charming. He is the one more than the other two to gravitate toward girls and compliment me with "You look pretty, Mama!" He enjoys being with others and going to his classes at church and enjoys that social aspect and is not upset at all to be left but he still really just does a lot of parallel playing with his peers mostly for now. He plays very well with James now and they can do more together (developmentally) than ever before which is so fun (unless they aren't getting along!) He is very rough and tough and afraid of very little (enclosed slides at the park is about all I can think of really! But lately he has started getting up the courage and saying "I did it! I wasn't scared!"). He is very much a middle-born pleaser and loves his brothers so much and is mostly kind and unselfish with them.
Look: dark brown eyes and brown curls (not as tight as they used to be and so we've been cutting his hair shorter), shorter and muscular build
New "tricks": I think he is pretty much potty trained at this point but we still have some setbacks outside of the home and just in various instances/situations but usually when we are too busy which is a lot (this had definitely been a different experience with him vs James but I know that every child is different and we will get there!), he's doing very well with our preschool at home and learning some letters and sounds through songs and numbers but we are mostly just enjoying themed books and activities, he is also doing very well with memorizing his Awana verses each week, he is getting more independent with dressing himself, cleaning up, getting things he wants, etc.
Likes: he enjoys little toys best (blind bags and figurines) and has a whole collection of what people would think of as "junky" toys but they are his treasures, he likes music and singing/dancing; he still likes monster trucks and green monsters (hulk, grinch, and mike w.), he enjoys Legos more now, and he loves the park and being outside, his guilty pleasure is still probably toy videos on the tablet, anything his brothers are playing!
And a few of his favorites as he dictated to me in our bi-yearly "interview":
Colors: pink and purple
Animal: flamingo
TV Show: Goldie and Bear and Blaze
Movie: Shrek, Trolls, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Cat in the Hat (are the ones he watches on repeat right now)
Food: apples (but all fruit)
Drink: water
Breakfast Food: doughnuts
Desserts: cookies
Outfit: Thomas hat (because he's wearing it right now!)
Toys: little toys
favorite holiday: Christmas
place to go: Chuck E. Cheese
favorite resteraunt: Chick-fil-A
where do you want to go on vacation?:Disney World
What grade are you in? 3K
Where do you like to go for fun with your family: park
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