Mr. Smiles

After a long, sleepless night, he makes my day.

Lincoln Photo of the Day

He he. Lincoln makes the silliest faces sometimes.

Ezekiel Appleseed

Juan sent this apple home for Zeke with Robb today. Zeke never turns down an apple!

The Boys

Shayla got these cute photos of the boys today. Zeke is really starting to warm up to his little brother. It makes me so happy to imagine them running around together getting into trouble.

That Lower Lip

So, it wasn't all smiles today. Lincoln has this delightful lower lip that juts WAY out when he is upset and about to cry. It is sort of adorable, despite the fact that he isn't feeling good. Wouldn't you just do anything for that little face?

Lincoln's First Smile

Lincoln actually smiled today! Robb was cuddling him and it was clear that Lincoln was trying to smile on purpose. So cute. He kept doing it too, so we tried to capture a smile or two, but it was sort of tricky. This is all we came up with. I'm sure there will be more to follow.

Chillin' With Kennedi

Zeke got to hang out with his little pal for a bit today. They had fun running around getting into mischief and taking advantage of all the baby gear. (Pretend Zeke isn't still in his pajamas in the middle of the day...)

Pepper Time

These just looked so cute and old-timey that I had to clone out the batman on Zeke's shirt.

We haven't seen much of anyone lately, so it was nice to drop in at the Fackenthalls and spend some time. Aunt Pat cuddled Lincoln while we walked out to see the progress on Jo and Chelane's new place. Both Pepper and Zeke are big fans of playing in the dirt, and Chelane captured these adorable pictures of the dusty little rascals. Thanks for sharing them, Chelane!

Baby Feet

There are few things as sweet as tiny little newborn feet.

The Fence, Part 1

One of our top priorities since moving has been to get some portion of the property fenced. Zeke loves being outside and we love to let him wander and explore. However, he usually makes a break for the road or takes off out across the wheat field.

Then Sheila joined our family. So it became even more imperative that we get the fence up. After lots of planning, we finally settled on putting up a tall fence along the back of the property and doing pickets along the sides and front.

Robb has been working like crazy in the evenings to get the post holes dug and the posts in. Happily, Corren spent a day helping so it is really starting to come together.

Best Babysitter Ever

We are so happy to have Mishayla back. We missed her all summer. Zeke was so excited when I told him she would be coming over. He still has a big ol' crush. I think Lincoln might have a little crush on her too.

Sleepy Zeke

I don't think anyone is getting much sleep around here lately. Zeke seems to be sleeping through much of the screaming, but maybe it has been affecting him more than we thought.

Today during lunch he started slowing down, then put his head down on the tray and kept eating. Soon he was fast asleep with a fistful of popcorn. Apparently he takes after his daddy.

Sad Baby

Ezekiel was sort of an easy baby. I mean, he still cried like babies do and had times when he didn't sleep very much. But on the whole, we knew we were getting it pretty easy. So, when we found out we were expecting baby number two, we generally agreed that we were in for it.

Sadly true.

Lincoln is a very sweet, lovey little guy. But he suffers from all sorts of discomforts and it makes him pretty grouchy most of the time. He wants to feed continuously, sometimes there is only about an hour between hour-long feedings. His little tummy tightens up in pain and he is super gassy. He struggles to sleep during the day and at night. And the crying/screaming/shrieking... He gets so worked up that he breaks out in a cold sweat and his skin breaks out in a rash of bumps. We hope he outgrows this all very soon.

Summer Harvest Fest

How Zeke eats shortcake.

I have to say, these food fests are just getting better and better. Today everyone brought dishes that featured freshly harvested fruits and veggies. So good.

Dapper Dude

Zeke isn't usually so excited about wearing hats, so we were pretty pleased when he kept this little cap on!

Lincoln Photo of the Day

I realized that I've been carting Lincoln around ALL the time. When Zeke was this age, he spent lots of time laying on a blanket on the floor. This is a bit trickier now that there is a toddler running around and trying to step on the baby.

But, we've been trying to let him have some floor time and he seems to sort of enjoy it for a bit. Also, today I watched Ezekiel sneak over to the baby and carefully plant a kiss on his head, so at least there are some of those moments too.

Little Buds

Zeke has decided that Oliver isn't a bad playmate. They even tussle over toys and push each other around, which of course is a true sign of friendship.

Great-grandma Cuddles

Let me just say that Grandma Marie has quite the touch with babies. She has been spending some serious time cuddling this little guy and he just eats it up.

(I love how his lips scrunch up when he is sleeping.)

Breakfast Fest

So, I didn't post about it, but awhile ago we had a Cereal Fest. It was pretty amazing. I think I could do that one again. Everyone brought a couple of their favorite cereals and we tried them all. Only Nelita brought some "healthy" options, so it was sort of a Sugar Fest. And I had cream.

Anyhow, this is a somewhat fancier version of that one. We all brought our favorite breakfast treats and feasted. Although they were all delicious, and it isn't some sort of a competition, I have to say that the peach french toast casserole may have been the winner. Mmmm, I want more now.