3 little penguins

Penguin #1. Scotty in February 2006:

Penguin #2. James in October 2008:

Penguin #3. Sam in March 2012.

We might try a feminine penguin too but she's not feeling well this week.

wow.

Six months! We blinked and here we are. Suddenly the babes are giggling and rolling and starting to play. We're barely edging out of survival mode and remembering some of the things we used to do ... like grocery shop, cook, do dishes, vacuum ... They're worth it though. Looka these guys:

Monkey envy

Typical Ruth and typical Sam faces. Ruth checking to see if her hands have changed flavor. Sam zerberting.

Trying not to crack up

hands! toes!

Mr. Sam

Ruthie-loo, our blinking, smiling baby doll

We'll do a catch-up post soon, with a few pics from Christmas up til now and some of our other two not-forgotten children. Hope you're all happy and well!

PS - We got a real job! Jeremy signed a great contract with a doc in Henderson NV to start in July. We're excited.

Merry Christmas!

What a memorable year. I don't get out often yet, but when I do, this is the most common comment: "God bless you!" The response that came to mind the first time I heard it was "He has!" He really has! We truly do feel blessed. No, it's not always easy. And no, I don't believe we would have survived the first months (or the months to come) without lots of help and lots of prayers. But yes, it's been wonderful. Unforgettable. And full of baby perfection that can only possibly have come straight from Heaven. We're enjoying getting to know Ruth and Sam's little personalities a little more each day.

I feel like we've settled into a bit of a "6 family" rhythm now. Scotty is proving to be a great little helper. He's loving kindergarten and has a wonderful teacher. James is a doting older brother and seems to be weathering his displacement as the snuggled baby. He's in a great preschool that includes his speech and physical therapy and is making steady progress. Jeremy is functioning as a full-time working single father -- the minute he walks in the door, he's cooking, cleaning, giving tubs, reading stories, etc. (What a guy!) And I'm holding babies. A lot.

In the last month we've started hitting the job hunt hard. Jeremy has a few interviews lined up already. Hopefully shortly we'll have more big news to share! Hard to believe yet another chapter of our lives is coming to a close and we'll be leaving Bethlehem. It's been a good chapter. We'll miss it here.

We hope you're all happy and well. Wish we could be closer to everyone we love. Here's a giant cyber-hug from Bethlehem, and some attempts at a family picture. Merry Christmas!

Twice Blessed

What a fun day! We blessed the babies the first Sunday in November and both sets of grandparents were able to come. What lucky little babies.

The only drama of the day was not performed by our drama queen. Sam decided to take that role and hollered through his blessing. But everyone survived.

We let Jeremy help pick Sam's outfit (thanks again Aunt Emily and Uncle Danny!) and of course he picked the one called the "Jeremy jumper."

Our gifted grandmothers gave gorgeous gifts. Grandma Corky made the blankets in the pictures and Grandma Ann made these:

Yes! I will put the babies in these sweaters every chance I get as long as they fit!

Our 3 amigos:

Already getting teased, poor little guy:

Big brother

Our four (!!!!) children! ...such a sudden leap from two I'm still processing...

Lots of chats and yummy food later, family went home and everything is back to normal now. ("normal" - ha!)

About 3 weeks ago we started getting our first true smiles and a few gurgly coos. Some moments are so wholly baby-perfect I can hardly stand it.

Here's Ruthie mid-story. Of course anytime I try to record her she gets stage fright. Hopefully soon we'll have one of her stories to share.

I've tried uploading video so many times. Fail every time. Just says "uploading" forever and ever. Anyone have a cure for my video-uploading ineptitude?

Scotty's bday

Scotty is 6! I love this age. A little while ago I was doing some face painting for Scotty and some friends. When I asked what he wanted on his cheeks, he said, "Sunshine! And a skeleton!" What other age group would make that request?

We started planning his birthday party a long time ago. A chain of questions and answers led him to believe that his late-September-almost-October party *must* be a costume party, with Halloween-themed games. The games he chose: Spider web dance (freeze dance), Spider says, Spider spider dino (duck duck goose), and Hot pumpkin. Yes, we had fun! Both planning and carrying out.

I wrote a hurried entry in his journal about 3 weeks after the babies were born. It says, "Never cuter, never naughtier." Sums it up pretty well. But it's always way more fun than it is hard to have him around.