October moments caught on film

Several pictures from this month that hadn't made it into the blog. We haven't done a whole lot lately, just family time. I can't believe our babies are 6 months already. Half a year. Seems crazy doesn't it?

 

Mommy and Bennett. He really looks so much like me. I suppose it's only fair as Maxton resembles his father so much.

 

Kimchi and Sugary Gunker just hanging out. (Kimchi is the cat, and yes, Hendrix named his monster himself)

My little dude.

I don't know why this picture uploaded sideways. If it wasn't such a cute picture, I'd delete it.

Clearly, Bennett is feeling the love.

Bennett looks huge! 

I walked in to get Maxton from his nap, and he was peeking over the crib, chewing on the side. Needless to say, it was adorable. We have since then lowered both the cribs. Bennett had been grabbing the sides and we really didn't want them to catch us off guard.

Bieber Fever. I'm not even sure if I spelled that right.

Hendrix had all his dinosaurs lined up, and all his cars lined up. Bennett came to attack. At first, Hendrix was pretty upset, but he got over it quickly and started playing with him.

When I'm running out of time, Hendrix is always there to lend a hand. (He's brushing my teeth with an infant toothbrush. I sacrificed myself to save the babies from his torture.)

Two of my sleeping beans

You'd think, by looking at this picture, that they're pretty upset. In reality, Max is giving a look of displeasure as the bag was not as delicious as he had anticipated, and Bennett is screaming his war cry  as he does right before he attacks his prey (in this case, the bag.) 

I've been debating whether to cut his hair or not. It looses a lot of curl in the winter, but I still love it shaggy.

What can I say about him that I haven't said a million times? I love him lots.

Maxton looking so grown up!

Again, this picture shouldn't be sideways.

Max was jumping, I walked into the kitchen to start the dishes, and I came peek in to check on him and this is how I found him. I wasn't in the kitchen but for two minutes, he had just been jumping and didn't make a peep! Not one fuss, I had no idea he was even tired. How stinking sweet is this baby?!

Happy 6 months Sugar Beans!

I call my boys my little Sugar Beans or Sugar Boogers. Mainly because I think it's stinking cute when Hendrix says it. 'Our sugar beans are so adorable!' 

They had their 6 month check up on Thursday. Maxton weighed 17lbs 9.5 ounces and was 27 in. long. Bennett weighed in at 20lb 5oz and was 28 inches long. Yep, Bennett is still very much so ahead. For the most part, he's wearing 12 month clothes. 

Sweet boys! I'm pretty sure they've both been teething.

Two happy guys.

Maxton James. He loves to laugh at his big brother and loves to watch Bennett on the move. He still has the biggest, sweetest smile. He's my little kicker, and if he finishes his bottle before Ben, he'll try to steal his! He's a wild little one and loves to be tossed in the air.

Have I mention how much I love nakey babies?!

My pale little Max :) He's got hair, but he's so blonde you can't even see his eyebrows :)

Still a thumb sucker!

He loves to hang out in the jumper!

Bennett Mathias. He's getting pretty good at sitting, and crawling! He's mischievous and loves to bug his big brother. When he sees me walk into the room, he crawls straight for me and will tug on my leg until I pick him up. He also loves to crawl to his Max and lay on him. Most of the time it makes Maxton giggle :)

sweet grins

This picture is a winner

 

Look at me!

He gets so excited!

Some brotherly love!

My brother ate my homework.

No really, he did. Bennett has been army crawling for almost a month now, but he's getting faster and up on his knees. Picking on his big brother is one of his favorite things to do, and Maxton loves to watch him move!

He found some paper Hendrix left on the floor. Yum!

Here I go! I face plant a lot because I'm not very good at coordinating my hands and legs, but I'm getting better!

Watch out mom! I'm feeling ornery.

He's very proud of himself, too!

What people ask you most, when you're a mother of 3 boys.

I decided to post a blog of two questions I am frequently asked. So here are my answers.

Are you going to try for a girl?
No, absolutely not. We would never try for a girl. If we have more children, it won't be so we get a girl. But, to address this topic. Do I want a little girl? If you would have asked me a year ago, I'd have said I would die for a girl. Now, I feel pretty neutral about the idea. I wouldn't be upset if I had a girl, I wouldn't be upset if I never had a girl. After we had Hendrix I told Aaron, let's have a girl next. When we found out the twins were both boys, I was a little crushed. I always wanted a girl. It took a while when I realized I wanted a daughter for very selfish reasons. Not just so I had someone to dress up and do her hair. Not because I always dreamed of having a mini-me. Actually, I'd feel sorry for her if she looked like me. Have you seen pictures of me growing up? They're painful to look at. I didn't grow into myself until well after highschool. Eek, I'd hate for my daughter to go through that 20 some years of pure awkwardness.
I wanted a daughter because I wanted that lifelong best friend. I wanted a relationship like I have with my mom. Someone I could take shopping with me. Someone I could take to Phantom of the Opera. Someone who would come to me with all their question, who would cry on my shoulder and look up to me. Someone who I could teach how to be a mother. Someone who I could hold their hand when they have their first child. Someone I could give advice to. See? Selfish.
Everyday though, that desire grows smaller and smaller. My boys are my best friends. I feel full-filled with my 3 sons. So overjoyed and in love everytime I look at them. What am I missing? Nothing, absolutely nothing. They make me laugh, smile, cry with happiness. There is nothing in the world that could make me happier. If someday they outgrow me, and I know they will, I'll never feel like I missed out on anything. When the day comes that I'm not their everything, they will still be my everything. There is something special about being the mother of 3 boys. I am always the most beautiful girl they've seen (for now!) I am their mom, their example of what a woman should be like. I'm a girl, and I can't even understand women. I get boys. Besides, maybe one of them will like shopping and going to Phantom of the Opera :) if not, I'll get used to soccer games and football. And maybe someday I'll get a daughter-in-law that I can share all those things with. And grand-daughters.
A few other thoughts that have crossed my mind. I think sometimes I hope I don't ever get a daughter. My reasoning? Well, I have a few. Girls tend to be harder. Ask any mother that has raised both. They usually have the same answer. My other reason. Well, if our next one is a girl, I will have 3 boys and a girl. I have noticed, that families with only one of the opposite sex, that child gets different treatment. Now, you can't really deny it, and I'm not saying it's wrong, but it's usually true. Children are different, they should be treated so. (i.e. A girl is probably more sensitive, so should be treated gentler. This isn't always the case, just an example.) If you have one girl, she is the baby, the princess. If you have only one boy, than he is the golden child. The king of the house. I never said this is wrong, or bad. If anything it's natural. You can disagree with me, and it's not always true, but I have seen it all too often. In any case, it bothers me. I can't say why, it just does, and I never want to have to deal with it.
Bottom line. What ever gender of child we get, we will love unconditionally, for the rest of our lives. The child will be equally cherished, whether it is a boy or a girl. But we will never try for a child, just in hopes that this time it will be female.

Do we want more children?
Oh man, depends what day you ask us. Heck, it depends what time of day you ask us. Really though, we're not sure. We feel so happy with our boys. So incredibly happy. This love is enough, it is more than enough. What parents wouldn't feel overjoyed with these three perfect children? But I'm kidding myself if I say I never want to hold another baby. Raise another child. Aaron and I have talked about it a lot, and we'd really love to adopt. We love to give a child that doesn't have a mother or father that kind of love. We'd love to give a child a loving home and good family. But right now, we're content. I also never want to have so many children that I don't get to give them the individual time that they deserve.  I never want to have so many children that the older child have to help raise the younger ones. *cough cough 19 kids and counting. Or how ever many they have now. cough cough* That's just ridiculous. At the same time, I feel much too young to make any sort of decision. Maybe 2 years from now, maybe 5 years from now, maybe 10 years from now, we'll want another baby, but for now, we're doing just fine. And despite what some  of you may think, we'll never have to buy a 15 passenger van :) If we do have more, we'll have no more than 4. Ok maybe 5. ;)

Making a list and checking it.....500 times

Well, it's October. Actually, we're half way through October...already?! So, I've started my Christmas shopping. This is seriously my favorite time of year because I love love love shopping for toys! I'll be the first to admit I live vicariously through my children. Not really though. But I do LOVE  toys! I love to see my boys having fun, and I love shopping for toys. Basically I just think, 'what would I have loved?' and it usually turns out to be a hit. I've oddly found shopping for boys is easier than shopping for girls. Maybe because nerf guns tend to be more fun than barbie dolls. Am I right or am I right? I'm right. So anyways, I've begun my shopping, purchased a few items, but basically I've just been doing my research and window shopping. Among these items they will get books, maybe a favorite movies (Hendrix has been asking for Wall-E) and a few other small items in their stockings. Here's a few of my ideas. IF you happen to have any of these toys, or have any input, I would love to hear any thoughts! So please do share!

Baby Einstein soother. We have a mobile on one crib and a different soother on the other, but the boys are getting on their hands and knees, which means the mobile will have to go soon. This is what I'm looking at to replace it. Reviews I've read said their children used this well past 12 months, by their bed to get them to sleep at night. So to me it doesn't seem like a big waste of money to get them one at 8 months (ok, they'll probably end up getting it before Christmas :)

Bilibo. You should watch a video on youtube. What are these things? Well, anything you want them to be. I've already decided, my boys will be getting one.

Little Tikes hot wheels mountain. I already purchased this from Craigslist. They are not in the market anymore so you have to find them used, but they are Little Tikes, nearly indestructible!! My nephew has one and Hendrix LOVES it. This toy is a hit with any boy, and with three of my own, I'm sure it will be well used. Try craigslist before ebay, these things can get EXPENSIVE! You can't really tell from this photo, but this mountain is a very gracious size. The cars go racing down. Ok, maybe I bought this for myself.

Music set for all three boys. I think this toy is great for any age, I'm kind of surprised I hadn't bought one before.

Max definitely needs this shirt.

Great reviews, and it's a adorable. Of course my babies will get one.

A handsome sweater for my handsome boy.

More Handsome.

Aaron's family has always had a tradition of getting pajamas for Christmas. We have carried it on to our boys. I love this set from Carters. 

I'm debating between this Radio Flyer ride on toy and the Wheely bug below. Here are my thoughts on the Radio Flyer. It has a bumper which means any corners or objects that are run into would be relatively safe. The babies won't be old enough to ride this by Christmas time and it is rather small for a child of Henri's size. I love the classic look of this toy though. Both these toys will be kept as inside toys. 

Wheely Bug Bee, size large. Babies won't be old enough to ride this either, but shortly after Christmas they will probably be eager to push things around. The handle on this riding toy would work much better. It is a larger size so Hendrix would have no problem riding it. Plus, how cute is this? 

Ok, I have no plans to buy this. After watching some videos, Hendrix is much too big for this ride, and it really isn't as awesome as it looks. But I thought after I buy one of the other riding toys, I could make a small *safe* ramp easily myself. 

I think I'll wait for the babies first birthday for this, but I have also been shopping on Craiglists for this item. I have no problem buying a used toy if I know the quality is there. It's a Step 2 product, perfect for three kids, and it's made of plastic so would be super easy to clean.

The Snyder's and we just bought one of these from Craiglists (Yes, I have become obsessed with Craiglists) They won't get to use it till next summer, but I think it was a great find for the cousins. We will have lots of fun with it next year!!

And here is my list of wants. Spoiled much? But Aaron loves me so :) Actually, most of these items are for both of us. 

We. Need. One.

Ok, so this is more for me. I doubt Aaron will ever use this, but I want one, bad.

After watching my boys interact with one another, I really need one of these. The quality of my phone simply will not do..

I always wear a dress for the holidays. I probably won't wear white, but I think this is simply beautiful.

I've been asking for a mother ring for, well 3.5 years now. But as Aaron says, I'll get one when I get one. Does it surprise you I'm not that big into diamonds? Of course I think they are pretty, but after having kids, I don't even wear my solitaire. I learned quickly that diamonds tend to scratch babies, and I play outside too often with my boys to keep it beautiful and clean. Diamonds sit in my jewelry box. I don't want a Mother's ring like this, but something similar, I want all their names carved in.