Just going to casually drop this blog update here like it's not extremely overdue... Maybe being a farmer's wife with four kids, homeschooling, working a part-time job, cooking, cleaning, and raising farm animals doesn't leave a whole lot of extra time for my sentimental storytelling on the internet. To be honest, my "storytelling" is no longer like watching a movie, but instead it's like a news report. (If that news report had to cover the past 5 months and honed in on some random details.) So welcome the Huenefeld blurb that will barely cover the bases. I just hope that I don't forget all of the very precious memories we're making right now, because I don't have the time to share it all. We're in such a sweet season of life, and I'm realizing more and more every day that these days are my absolute favorite. Some day they'll be gone and I'll be left with this jumbled mess of an update and I'll think back to these moments and squeezing in a few minutes at nap time to jot this down. With that being said... Christmas was like last month, right?
Christmas
We kicked off 2023 with a couple of lingering Christmas gatherings.
Our immediate family gatherings are some of our favorite holiday memories each year. The kids love being with their grandpas, grandmas, aunts, uncles, and cousins!
Snow Days
We got a small taste of winter wonderland this year. The kids spent many hours building forts, having snowball fights, sledding, and drinking plenty of hot chocolate.
"It's a snow caterpillar!"
James always makes a big pile of snow with the skid steer when he clears the driveway. It's usually the favorite snow day spot.
Bundling 6 people in the winter sure makes for a lot of laundry. It's a good thing that's my favorite household chore.
My 30th Birthday
I've entered a new decade. Believe it or not, it's been 10 years since that's happened. When I turned 20, I was taking classes at the local community college and figuring how to be a wife to a farmer and a mom to our baby. What a decade it has been. The next 10 years are bound to bring just as much change and goodness than the last.
In the weeks and months leading up to my birthday, James kept asking what I wanted to do. I wasn't totally sure what it would look like, but I knew it would be fun to get all of my favorite people together. James came up with an idea and wanted to surprise me. The surprise didn't last real long, because he asked me a few too many questions. He was throwing me a 90's dance party.
I was in charge of two things: the guest list and the music. James spent days and days cleaning out the shop, so it was ready for the party. (I'm pretty sure he secretly threw this extravagant party just so that he could get his shop all polished up.) We spent a few evenings setting up the speakers, party lights, and disco ball. I wasted no time getting my dance on anytime I swung by the shop. James recruited some help from friends and family to pull it off - the food, decorations, entertainment.. Let me tell ya. They killed it.
Did I mention that we all dressed up in our best 90's attire? I couldn't stop laughing at every person that walked in the door. It was amazing. Most of my outfit already existed in my closet. (The 90's are my jam all around.) And you'll be even more surprised to hear that most of James' outfit was also from my closet. Every piece of denim he was wearing was mine. I do not tell lies. I made sure to point out this fact to everyone at the party. {In case you're feeling bad for him... like I embarrassed him too much... like I am too hard on him... like he is just a kind, innocent puppy that is too precious and gentle to be mocked like that... please keep reading about how the rest of the party went.}
They really thought of everything. They used this puzzle as the guestbook. I'm a total puzzle nerd, so now I get to put this puzzle together for many years to come as I reminisce the night I celebrated turning thirty. They also did a junk food charcuterie on each table and it was like something out of my dreams. Candy is my love language.
 |
| My fam |
Hayes was even sporting a vintage 90's outfit. What a stud muffin baby.
 |
| Nuss Cousin Clan |
 |
| The girls that helped make James' plan come to life and still let me be their friend even though I never respond in the group message. |
Can't have a dance party without this crew! They're my "dancing friends" for life.
When I say that we danced hard. I mean that I barely made it off the dance floor. I made sure that each dance set was perfectly curated to get even the least likely candidates' heads bobbing. Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Britney, Alan Jackson, Will Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Matchbox 20, Shania, TLC, Billy Ray Cyrus... The 90's were nothing short of a gift. Pure gold.
James didn't turn me down for a single dance. It was a birthday miracle. My favorite version of James is dance floor James. I hope to spend the rest of my life embarrassing him in the best way possible.
James also played emcee for the evening, which in itself was very entertaining. But. He's spent a little too much time with me and has turned into a total punk. Everyone knows James as this super wise, gentle, quiet-type... but he has this cheeky side to him. He can dish it pretty naturally. We banter constantly and I just had a suspicion that he didn't want to squander the opportunity with a microphone in front of all of my friends and family. I don't know why, but I had this feeling he wanted to roast me. Even though I had my suspicions, I didn't truly believe he would talk in front of a room of 60+ people for longer than he had to. I even joked with someone at the party that night that it would be my favorite night, "unless James roasted me or something." The probability in my mind that he would actually do it was very small. But then they sat me on a chair, gathered everyone around, and let me have it.
It started out pretty innocent - stories from my childhood. (I was quite an embarrassment to everyone near me when I was a toddler. There were a number of those stories shared, and they made sure I knew that nothing had changed. I'm still an embarrassment to all of them.) I laughed and saw all of those jokes coming from a mile away, because no one will ever let me forget that I pooped my pants and locked myself in the bathroom at Wilson's Sports... or the whole "Shut up you stupid baby!" thing. I still get that one multiple times a year.
They took a sharp turn when James started sharing.. The man I married. Trust with my very heart and soul. Father of my children. My best friend. Love of my life. BETRAYER OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT. (That last title is a new one.) His first stinger was a joke that about had me do a spit take. I actually could not fathom that it came out of his mouth. It went something like this, "Megan. Engaged. Graduated high school. Married. Pregnant. In the same year. In that order.... (pause) Allegedly." He came out swinging. I about died. There was no allegedly about that timeline, but the fact that he used it as a joke which also would incriminate him was what totally got the shock factor from everyone. That's when I knew I was in trouble and that this had all been a huge mistake. He had one goal - to embarrass the heck out of me. And man did he give it his best.
A few more expected embarrassing stories were shared, and then the one that I knew for sure was coming but was so hoping he'd skip. I cannot and will not share that one here. I will say it involves my employment, which is why so many people at the party should probably never have heard this story. It's not near as bad as it sounds, but also way more humiliating. So yeah. I'm not going to jail or anything, just can't quite look anyone in the eyes ever again. Everyone sure thought it was hysterical and after he told the story, I literally asked if I still had a job.
James started the last story with, "This one's going to hurt." I was racking my brain trying to think what on earth he was talking about. I had no idea what direction he was headed. He then told my biggest secret that I planned to take to the grave, because I had a blood pack with the other guilty parties. When he blurted out the story, my jaw hit the floor and my eyes bugged out of my head. I could not believe he was betraying me like this. The dude was out for blood. I thought a friendship might end that night. I had kept a secret from a friend and James made sure that I was exposed. Thankfully she laughed instead of slugging me, and I fully expect to never get to drive her car again. That's fair. That's totally fair.
Then like he hadn't just dropped a bomb on my entire world, he put the mic down and walked away. Unbelievable. The nerve. I removed myself from the hot seat and went to make my apologies and explanations to everyone in the room. We laughed so hard. Harder than I've laughed in years. And after it was all over, I thanked James for giving me a fresh start, because now I literally have no secrets to speak of. I'm a free woman. I still laugh when I think back to the roast. I've even chuckled a few times as I've typed all this out. I've always said that it takes a lot to embarrass me. I'm not afraid of showing my humanity. I just didn't expect it all to come out, in one night, in front of so many people. But it did, and it ended up being one of my absolute favorite parts of the party. I had 30 years of embarrassing stories saved up. I can't wait to see what's in store for the next 30. Also, totally unrelated, I'm planning a 33rd birthday party for James in August and the entire world is invited...
When I got home from the party, I spent some time chatting with my nephews who had stayed with our kids for the evening. They were just hanging around talking to me, and just when I was feeling like a pretty cool 30-year-old because they wanted to chat... I noticed something on my cupboard. And then on the table. And then on the piano. And then on the hearth. There were tacky decorations all over my house. Scott and Billy busted out laughing and then I realized they were hanging around to see my reaction. I later found more things left in both bathrooms and our bedroom had a hideous arrangement as well. Apparently several party-goers made a quick delivery at my house before arriving at the shop. There was so much stuff. Thankfully, I now have gifts for every occasion. I'll just shop the Goodwill section in my closet.
{Insert the super cheesy paragraph about being so thankful for the best community of people}
Yeah ok. I'm going to write it all out anyway. These people (and a few that couldn't make it!) have been so instrumental in my 30 years. They've walked with me through some extremely difficult seasons. They've made me belly laugh. They've challenged me in more ways than I can count. They've hosted us, gone on trips with us, loved us beyond imagination. They've showed up time and time again. Some are old friends, some are new friends, most of them are family, but they are all great friends. Couldn't have dreamed up a better crew.
And then this guy... I really didn't want to get all sappy, but oh well.
Never have I ever met another one like him. He's steady and consistent, loyal and wise, kind and humble. My 30th birthday party is the exact opposite of anything he would ever want to do, and yet he planned it, hosted it, and even danced to my ridiculous music. He's something truly remarkable. The greatest gift. My best friend and jean-sharer. So thankful that silly 13-year-old Megan had enough sense to get his MSN name. Not even my dial-up internet could keep us apart.
Big Cedar Lodge
Right after my birthday party, we loaded up and set our sights on Missouri!
Big Cedar Lodge was a perfect place to make some new memories with longtime friends!
We took a golf cart tour one morning and got to see some fun sights.
Carver was just along for the ride! He's the best travel baby.
Macklin especially loved the buses that took us everywhere and even asked if we could take the bus to town when we got home.
The pool was a big hit.
We also spent an afternoon at the arcade. Laser tag and bumper cars on repeat for hours.
Lots of yummy food was consumed.
Our last stop was at Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield. It was really impressive! (And that's coming from people that visit the Henry Doorly Zoo and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.) We highly recommend making the stop if you're ever driving through Springfield, MO.
It was a super quick trip, but a whole lot of fun packed into it.
House
Have you forgotten about the house? Because we kind of have. It was a busy winter, but not for the house. A couple small projects have been tackled, but almost all of the remaining items will have to wait until late fall. We did complete the entry wall. It's nice to have a place that people can hang their coats. This is one corner that feels very "complete."
We also have the vent hood and fireplace primed and ready for plaster. It has certainly helped make the space "feel" finished, even though it's only primed.
One thing that has seen a lot of progress is our exterior! We happened to have hail damage from past storms, so we were able to replace the shingles, soffit, siding in the peaks, and gutters. It made a huge difference in the look of the house.
I was able to get some new mulch laid in the flower beds, too. Our poor neglected exterior is finally getting a little love. We still need to replace the windows in the garage and the exterior walk-out garage door. It's all waiting in boxes in the garage - so it'll happen quick when the time comes.
We painted and assembled our bookcase that will get built into the hallway nook. (I was in desperate need for book storage - books were taking over every corner of the house. Now we at least have a large landing space. Each kid still has a bookshelf in their room that's full, plus more in the basement in our schoolroom. Doing everything we can to build life-long readers.) This little nook is one of my favorite additions to our space. James will frame out the shelf and add a picture light to the top. Are there board books on the floor every second of the day? Yes - we have a crawler, so obviously. But we remodeled this house to be used, not displayed. Happy to have little hands enjoying it.
I should probably paint that outlet, right? Maybe I'll get to that some day.
The lingering to-do list seems to be as long as ever, but it has been such a joy to see new life come into our home. We've been able to host more frequently and we've tried to share the space as often as we can.
Texas
We haven't been on a big family vacation since before Macklin was born. We've done little things here or there and have gone places with friends, but we hadn't made the time to get away on our own. James and I went back and forth on whether or not we should fly back to Florida or try driving somewhere. With the uncertainty of the airlines and flight cancellations this winter/spring we opted to find a place that was drive-able. Galveston, Texas here we come!
We left bright and early and got a good stretch of road behind us before the sun was up too far. We drove through Dallas and did a literal drive-by at Dude Perfect. We weren't sure if 13 hours in a day was realistic for us, so we had made arrangements ahead of time to stay the night in Waco.
The next morning we got donuts, played at the park, and went for a lengthy hike along the river...
and then stopped at the Magnolia Silos for lunch. We let each kid pick out a treat at the silos - Trevin wanted a fresh lemonade, Mack picked a smoothie, and Myla had her heart set on this watermelon drink. It was very cute and very yummy, but not at all sensible. Imagine James's excitement when the watermelon came back to the car.
After our quick Waco visit, we were back in the car to finish out the drive to the ocean.
We booked a cute ground-floor condo right on the ocean. It came with access to two shared pools and the beach across the street.
Macklin's first time to the ocean!
The first day was c o l d. It was cloudy and breezy and borderline intolerable. We set our umbrella up, not for shade, but for a wind block. We bundled up and tried the beach for a little while before deciding the heated pool away from the ocean breeze sounded very appealing.
Not surprising, we had the pool all to ourselves. The kids swam happily and we made the most of our time there, regardless of the temperature.
When everyone started to turn blue, we opted for games inside.
Vacation Huenefelds always end the day with ice cream - no matter the weather. (If you know us, that is definitely a James tradition. I would prefer pastries or candy, but when Dad says it's time for ice cream, we get ice cream!)
The next day was a little warmer and we played at the beach for much longer.
We've never taken a baby to the ocean before. It was actually so much fun! (Granted, I know he's kind of a dream baby, but still.) Carver was so content and loved taking in all the new sights and sounds. He wasn't fully mobile at this point, but he was scooting around some. He played under the umbrella pretty well until he discovered the sand. Suddenly, he was an expert mover. He ate a lot of sand. It's probably fine.
Macklin stayed very busy in the sand. Throwing in his construction toys was a good call. They pushed and moved sand all day long.
It's not a beach trip unless someone gets buried in the sand!
Our last full day at the beach was the warmest day yet. We took advantage of every bit of sunshine and warmth we could get.
Sandcastles, bodyboarding, fishing, napping in the shade, swimming, and getting just a little bit sunburnt. It was a good day.
Mack refused to take his goggles off to nap.
Beach babies might be my newest obsession.
Whenever we go to the ocean, the only thing on James's wishlist is to catch a fish. They ended up catching several on our last day, so everyone was able to go home fulfilled.
We loaded up and made the long journey home, fully willing to make a stop for the night if we couldn't make it all the way. I'm not here to brag, really I'm not, but we made the 13-hour trip in 14.5 hours. We made a total of two stops. WHAT. I still don't know how we did it. Thankfully Carver is eating food, so that helped holding him over in between stops. The kids were literal champs. We all might have been dehydrated by the time we got home, but we did it. And now we're very much not afraid of driving all over the countryside. Where should we go next?! Suddenly the world has opened up to us.
It was such a special trip. I hope these memories last us a lifetime.
Macklin's 3rd Birthday
It's becoming tradition to go to the bakery for a cinnamon roll for Mack's birthday. It's an easy request to fill. And when asked if he wanted a cinnamon roll or a cake for his party, he quickly shouted, "Cimamin roll!!!"
Mack loves fishing, so we threw him a party that he could get excited about. His birthday fell on Easter weekend, so we squeezed in birthday brunch between church services, family gatherings, and egg hunts.
What a treasure this boy is. He is so much spunk and spice, but is equally hilarious and sweet. He's really bright and is always keeping us on our toes. Three years seems like a blink of an eye.
Easter
We went straight from the birthday party to Easter. It was a busy weekend, but there was so much worth celebrating!
It was Carver's first Easter. He wasn't exactly sure what to think of it all.
I bought Myla and I matching dresses for the first time since she was a baby. I'm not sure why I never continued to do it all of those years, but I think this year, more than past years, I felt time passing so quick and really wanted to soak up time with my little girl. Maybe it was the fact that we added a third son last year that made me feel like I wanted to be more intentional with my only daughter. Something as simple as matching dresses made her so happy. I will match her forever if she'll let me.
I got the boys matching shirts, too.
They are precious.
Trevin's 11th Birthday
And just a couple days later, we turned around and celebrated another birthday.
Trevin wanted to do an escape room with friends this year, so I grabbed pizza, pop, and an Eileen's Cookie and called it a party. Myla and James joined the crew of boys in the escape room, while Macklin, Carver, and I watched from the control room.
They seemed to have a lot of fun and were able to escape before time ran out.
Then we took the gang home for a sleepover - but there was no sleep to be had. I let Trevin pick out the ultimate sleepover snacks, which included warheads. It was the perfect 11-year-old boy party. They had a nerf war for a long while, played some classic Nintendo games on the Switch, and laughed endlessly. We watched Napoleon Dynamite with them and it was clearly a pivotal moment in all of their lives. Sleep did not exist that night and we were all walking zombies the next day. Trevin was still so tired 24 hours later that he tried to put hot sauce on his pancakes. The memories were worth it. Probably.
School
The spring semester came with its challenges, but we pushed through and were able to complete the 2022-2023 school year in April. Trev wrapped up 5th grade and Myla finished 1st grade!
Mack's first monster truck drawing above.
Macklin always keeps things interesting. Like the morning I was teaching Trevin English and looked down to see I had been handcuffed to the table. You might wonder how on earth that could have happened without me noticing. And if you are wondering that, I would bet you've never been the mom of multiple young children. I'm being touched, pulled on, and grabbed every minute of the day, so I quite literally didn't even notice the handcuffs going on. And it's easy to get caught up in English when you're talking about helping verbs. I still remember the jingle that I learned in 7th grade, which came in handy this year.
We dabbled in some preschool this year with Mack, but we've started to take things a little more seriously this summer. He's a really bright kid, so I didn't feel like there was anything he was absolutely needing to know right now. However, I knew it would be good to give him some fun one-on-one time. Summer preschool has been a blast for him! It's making me say yes to things I wouldn't usually say yes to. And it's been sweet watching him get excited about "doing preschool" and having those special moments together.
Trevin gained more independence in schooling this year and has built a lot more confidence in his work. Myla is grabbing bigger chapter books by the week. She gets so excited to learn and loves school, except when she's pestered by all those brothers.
Homeschool year 3 complete! It may be getting more chaotic each year, but we're learning a ton and having fun while we do it. Usually.
Farm
James spoke at a conference this winter about weed control in organic production. I was able to sit in on his session. It's always fun hearing him share his knowledge and experience.
Winter months also means flamer assembly. He sold a couple machines, so Trevin spent some shop hours lending a hand.
The calendar told us that it was farming time - although the weather couldn't seem to decide for awhile. James was buzzing with all the pre-planting work for weeks and he was finally able to put some seed in the ground.
We'd been hoping for rain for a long while, but seemed to miss every chance we got. James decided to hill the gravity irrigated corners and lay out pipe prior to planting because it was soooo dry. We laid pipe, watered, changed gates, picked up pipe... and then we planted.
We finished planting this week, but it's only the beginning of our really busy stretch. If you need us, is there any chance it can wait until end of June? Mid-May to mid-June is always the most intense time of year. It's busier for us than harvest is. Busy season hours means most meals are apart and most nights I'm solo at bedtime. Each year, we seem to find our rhythm a little quicker and a little easier.
Next up is flaming, cultivating, more flaming and cultivating, hilling (again), and you might as well throw wheat harvest in at the end.
So thankful for this life we live and this land we steward.
 |
| baby popcorn is happy after yesterday's rain |
Farm Animals
This is where I introduce our newest members.
Herman and the chicks
That would make a pretty sweet band name.
I'm old enough to remember when I said I would never homeschool and I would never have livestock. YET HERE I AM. All of these animals happened fairly quickly. When egg prices skyrocketed, I made one comment to James that maybe we should get chickens. Next thing I knew he was asking me how many and had placed an order for laying hens. After that, I figured what's the point in fighting this any longer. Bring on the barnyard.
James' uncle had a cow birth twins and he asked if Trev would be interested in bottle feeding one. Trevin was excited and we gave it the green light.
They became fast friends.
Herman has a vendetta against James. He even tried to charge him and would butt him anytime James got in the pen. Herman was always calm with the rest of us, but he did not care for James at all. It probably has something to do with James wrestling him out of the pen away from his mother and all the way home.
And then just a couple days later, our chicks arrived. We have about 20. We lost one the first week and apparently we formed quick attachments to them because we were all very sad.
They are at prime cuteness right now.
The kids check on the chicks multiple times a day. They've become our favorite source of entertainment. Trevin started catching flies and feeding the chicks by hand. A couple of them are getting very friendly and will come to the door to greet us because they think we're bringing a fly.
Carver just wants to smother them. Keeping him at a safe distance is difficult.
We barely got a coop set up in time. Everything was kind of scrapped together, but honestly, that's the season we're in right now. Someday we'll have a really great coop where I won't smoke my head on a board every time, but for now we're happy to have a place to keep our chickies safe.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day consisted of me celebrating my children, which is the most mothering you can mother. I was happy to share the day as we dedicated Carver at church and celebrated Myla's birthday that afternoon.
James did surprise me with donuts when I woke up on Mother's Day. He knows the way to my heart.
Carver's Dedication
Carver was dedicated to the Lord on May 14. What a special day it was!
Myla's 7th Birthday
After Carver's dedication at church we headed to the park for birthday lunch to celebrate our sweet 7-year-old. And in perfect Myla fashion, she chose a bunny theme this year.
Ashton helped me out with the cake, as always, and I made the topper and put on the final touches. It turned out really cute.
It's so easy to celebrate Myla!
Her birthday came two days later and she was thrilled to get a new bike.
Unfortunately, James is always incredibly busy on Myla's birthday. Since I knew he wouldn't be able to celebrate much with us that day, I asked Myla what special things she wanted to do. She decided on visiting the Edgerton Center with a couple friends and then we went to the Super Mario movie that night.
The kids loved the movie and the Peaches song will forever be sang on repeat by these kids for eternity it seems.
Boating
We'd been itching to get the boat out for the first time this year. We took one Sunday afternoon and made a quick trip to Lovewell after church.
Mack might have been the most excited. He's been begging to "go boating" for months. And I'm happy to report that his new fishing pole didn't find the bottom of the lake this time.
Carver did his typical Carver thing and just went with the flow. He goes wherever we take him and he's just happy to be with us.
Friends ended up the lake on the same day, so as soon as all the siblings started fighting, we met up to get a change of scenery.
Wedding
James' nephew got married last weekend and it was magical. Trevin and Myla were in the wedding, so we got to take part in all of the festivities.
The flower girls were simply darling. I had an earth-shattering flash forward as I helped Myla use the bathroom in her huge poofy white dress - I was met with the reality that someday it would be her wedding day and I would look back to this very moment wondering how it went so fast. I might have secretly shed a tear over that, but it was certainly a precious sight to watch her all weekend.
I was thankful my friends took some photos of the kids, because I took very few!
The ring security was anything but darling. They were the coolest cats this side of the Mississippi. The difference between the rehearsal and the wedding day was astounding. They mostly moped through the rehearsal, not knowing if they really wanted to be there... but as soon as those aviators went on on wedding day, it was game time. I have never seen the confidence exude quite so effortlessly in a group of elementary boys. It was remarkable. They walked the aisle with the most intensity possible and executed their job to perfection. And then came the dance. Oh the dance. I think I will make Trevin wear aviators to every wedding reception from here on out. I have never seen those dance moves come out in public before. It was inspiring.
Mission ring security: Complete
Other Highlights
Always more bread.
And more friends
This was for a Kentucky Derby Party. I must admit, I had never watched the Kentucky Derby before, and I'd never worn a hat (other than a ball cap or stocking hat), but this may not be the last time for me. Or maybe it will. No one can be too sure.
A special visit with Grandma Nuss!
Cousins
It's always fun to get the cousins together.
Myla got to do a baking day with her cousins at Mimi's house. It was the highlight of her week!
 |
| Memorial Day |
We also got to celebrate my nephew last month at his graduation. I could get REALLY sappy here, but for his sake, and mine, and even yours.. I won't. I've done enough sappy this year for a lifetime probably. Regardless, super proud of Scotty and love him beyond words.
Trevin
+He went paintballing for the first time and now is having an epic dilemma deciding if he likes airsoft or paintball more. Oh the suspense!
+Trev is working his tail off on the farm. He mentions more and more often that he'd like to farm when he gets older. That has come as a little bit of a surprise to us because his love for the farm hasn't always been apparent.
+He finished year three of guitar. It's so fun to listen to him play. He had a recital this spring and is continuing lessons through the summer.
+T is always quick with a joke or to break out in his current favorite song.
Myla
+She's a natural caretaker. She loves helping Mack with preschool, happily lends a hand with Carver, and gives the chicks all the love and attention they could ever wish for.
+She's eager to spend time in the kitchen, and especially loves making recipes out of her princess cookbook.
2023 Princess Party
+It's been a season of girl things. The princess party was followed by a formal tea party hosted by some friends, and then a garden breakfast a month later. Any excuse to get dolled up with her and do something one-on-one is an easy yes from me.
After Myla and I went to the tea party, she insisted that we have tea with the boys at home. Turns out they don't really like tea.
+She's been taking online piano lessons since January. I'm actually blown away at how far she's come in such a short time. It's obvious she finds a lot of joy in it. She's learned quite a few songs and her favorite thing to do right now is to play a song and make us guess which one it is.
Macklin
+Potty training was a success. I think. We tackled it in January and he figured it out quicker than the other two had. It was really pretty easy this go-around, but that doesn't mean that we haven't had setbacks. There's been plenty of those. Overall he's done really well. (I say that, but he also got into the water table this week and peed in it.. so maybe I'm just trying to be optimistic.) One night he refused to go potty before bed and then immediately peed in his pull-up as soon as I put it on him. I asked him why he wouldn't sit on the toilet and he said, "Because I not want to waste my time sitting on the potty." Fair enough, I suppose. He is a very busy man.
+Probably the most difficult thing about potty training has been the breath-holding spells. Yes, those are still happening. In fact, this week has been brutal. He probably had 5-6 in one day. If he gets hurt, scared, angry, or almost any other negative emotion, there's a decent chance he'll pass out. And do you know what can happens when he passes out? He pees. It's a whole thing. It makes it hard to have full confidence when we go places in undies. Thankfully, he's getting old enough I've started to be able to talk him through the episodes and can usually get him to take a breath before he goes down. We're really working on trying to manage them, which has been a good practice for him.
The Huenefeld fainting goat line continues over here apparently.
+The last month or so he has really started to climb on everything and has a new sense of bravery. Climb on it, jump off of it, repeat.
+He loves to ride along on any equipment or vehicle whenever he can. That means I get a mowing buddy sometimes. (In case you're wondering, my love for mowing has not wavered. It might be considered a crucial part of my identity at this point. Who even am I if I am not mowing?)
+He calls hard boiled eggs "googly eggs" and he calls people either "Bob" or "Babe". We hear, "Ok, Bob" a lot. Or "You too, Babe." And I get, "Yes, sir" a lot too.
+He's developing a real tender side to him and it's been sweet to see that unfold. He loves having a job and helping mom and dad.
Carver
Looking back at these pictures makes me realize how much he's grown the last few months.
+He's almost completely quit sucking his thumb. I'm not totally sure if he still sucks it when he's falling asleep in his crib or not, but when he's up I never see him do it anymore.
+The topic of Carver's first word is a very heated debate. I was saying "mama" to him over and over again, like every good mom does, in order to hear it come from my sweet baby's lips. Eventually he gave it his best effort and mimicked the open and closing of his lips to match mine. It was inaudible the first few times and then it came out "papa." I very much knew he was intending to say mama, but Trevin will fight me to the grave arguing that Carv's first word was papa. It's certainly a gray area, but nonetheless he really started to copy sounds a lot more frequently after that, even saying mama and dada before long. If I'm being honest, he didn't associate the word "mama" (or papa) with me, or with grandpa. So his first real word with meaning would definitely be "uh-oh." That's the only word he's used consistently at the correct time. Every time he drops (or throws) something off of the table a big "uh-oh" follows. He also says "hi" from time to time and always accompanied by a wave.
+He went from rolling around, to scooting, to crawling. Just like kids do. He became really mobile at 8 months when he really figured out the crawling thing. The beach in Texas really motivated him to move and as soon as we walked in the door when we got back to Nebraska, he took off. We were unloading bags from the car and I kept watching him scurry across the entire room. It happened pretty fast. Now he's pulling up to things and his balance is getting better every week. I think we're still a ways off from walking; he usually lifts his legs or tries to sit down if you grab his hands to walk.
+He started on some simple first foods like bananas, avocados, and soft-boiled egg yolk. From there he took off and is now eating almost everything that we eat. Soup season made it super (pun intended) easy to feed a baby. The Baby Brezza is coming in handy a lot now to mince up harder to chew summer meals like steak. He's a big eater and does not like to be left out at meal time, even if he's already eaten. He's still nursing and it won't be long before we're introducing cow's milk and then there's no stopping him!
+Sleeping has been pretty smooth with him, except for when he's teething or fighting a cold, which seems to be often right now. The typical schedule is down at 7:00PM and up to nurse at 6:30AM, with a morning and afternoon nap. Most naps are running about an hour-and-a-half. I sing him the doxology every time I lay him down for bed and he calms instantly and usually lets out a good yawn before I finish singing. When he's teething or fighting a cold, he is consistently up at 5-5:30AM to nurse. That's usually the first sign to me that something is off.
+He currently has 6 teeth (at 10 months old). Don't ask me when he got all of those, because I don't know. Fourth kid probs. But his top two teeth have an awesome gap and it might be my favorite thing in this world right now.
+I blinked and he started turning blonde. Some of the pictures show it more than others. I'm just blaming it on the sun, because I can not fathom having a third blonde boy. What even is this? I thought for sure brunettes were my future and these boys keep breaking the mold. But watching Mack's golden curls come to life in the humidity this summer has me swooning, so I guess I'm really secretly (or not so secretly) a fan of these blonde boys. The real question is whether or not Carver's will end up curly. Time will tell.
Month photos:
six and seven months
eight and nine months
ten months
He's the sweetest little buddy. I didn't know how much our home needed this little happy babe.
His birthday is right around the corner!
Kiddos
The sweet sibling moments caught on camera.
All of those big monumental highlights shared earlier are special, but these are the memories that really build a home. Life is made up of mundane, typical, everyday moments and that's where the true joy really abides.
 |
| They tied a red water balloon to the tree and told me we had a cherry already. They actually had me fooled until I got super close. Constant pranks around here. |
 |
| When your shopping crew looks like this, you've got to shop at Sam's Club where everything is in bulk, there are two seats in the cart, free samples for all, and scan & go allows you to skip the checkout line. |
So there you have it. A snippet of our life in 2023.
Hopefully I'll catch you again before this year is over.
Joking, but not totally joking.
No comments:
Post a Comment