Rhett at NINE MONTHS!

I started this post a couple of months ago, so I'm going to go ahead and post it even though my baby turns one next week.  Here is what I got finished.  Again, it's not as complete as I would like, but at least it is something!

______________________________________________________

At the end of February Rhett turned nine months old!  Now that he is eating baby food and table food he is really growing.  He seems to change from day to day and when I see pictures of him when he was little, I almost don't recognize him.  He is still a sweetheart and I love having him around.  So here is a little snapshot of my baby boy at nine months old.

He had his well child check-up on Monday, February 29, 2015.  On a side note, if my grandma Hester was still alive, she would have turned 100 that day!  She was a leap year baby!  Happy birthday Grandma!  I miss you!

So, Rhett had his well child check and is doing great.  He jumped up in weight and is still a tall boy with a large noggin.  Interestingly, at nine months Rhett is taller than Audrey was at one year, and is only an inch shorter than Truman and Genevieve at one year.  Here are his NINE MONTH stats.

Height: 29.5 inches, 90th percentile

Weight: 19 pounds, 6 ounces, 50th percentile

Head: 46.5 centimeters, 90th percentile

Milestones since six months:

• Friday, December 4, 2015--Started scooting, army crawling.
• Saturday, December 5, 2015--First peas!
• Friday, December 11, 2015--First squash!
• Wednesday, December 23, 2015--First carrots!
• Saturday, December 26, 2015--First movie!  Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip with the family at the theater.
• Sunday, December 27, 2015--First prunes!
• Wednesday, December 30, 2015--First applesauce!
• Saturday, January 2, 2016--First peaches!
• Sunday, January 3, 2016--First tooth!  Bottom left incisor
• Tuesday, January 5, 2016--First pears!
• Saturday, January 9, 2016--First bananas!
• Wednesday, January 13, 2016--Second tooth! Bottom right incisor.
• Thursday, January 14, 2016--First Cheerios!
• Saturday, January 16, 2016--First oatmeal (baby)!
• Wednesday, January 20, 2016--Sits from crawling, all by himself!
• Tuesday, January 26, 2016--First beans (real people food).
• Thursday, January 28, 2016--Third tooth! Upper left incisor, second from center.
• Friday, January 29, 2016--Crawls on knees a little bit.
• Saturday, January 30, 2016--Lowered Pack 'n' Play mattress.
• Monday, February 1, 2016--Pulls to standing! First real bananas!
• Tuesday, February 2, 2016--Fourth tooth! Upper middle left incisor.
• Friday, February 12, 2016--Started cruising around the furniture!
• Sunday, February 14, 2016--Fifth tooth!  Upper middle right incisor.
• Saturday, February 20, 2016--Sixth tooth! Upper right incisor, second from center. 

 At NINE MONTHS, Rhett:

• Wears size 3 diapers.
• Wears size 6-12, 12 month, and 9 month clothes.
• Would wear about a size 3 in shoes, if he ever wore shoes.
• Loves to eat!  So far Rhett is great about all food.  He loves his fruits and eats his veggies.  He likes his baby food and real people food.  He loves bananas, Cheerios, puffs, and pretty much anything else we give him.  Cheese is also a favorite.
• Moved to his new convertible car seat on Sunday, February 21, 2016.  We got another Britax, although after we bought it I kind of regretted not spending a little more and getting the Chicco.  But it's only for about a year, so I'll survive.

 In his bigger boy car seat on Sunday, February 21, 2016.

• Pulls up his left leg when he sits in his high chair to eat.  He pulls it up just high enough to tuck his knee next to the tray.  It is very cute.
• Sits with his feet up on the try of his stroller, like he's just chillin'.
• Still doesn't sleep through the night.  Rhett gets up once or twice a night, usually between 11:00 and 1:30, and then again around 2:00-4:00.  Some nights, and this is increasing in frequency, he only gets up once.  I do have to feed him whenever he gets up, but he always goes right back down without a sound even if he's wide awake.
• Is pretty regularly napping now!  Sadly, he only takes one nap, after lunch.  He goes down between 11:30 and 1:00, depending on what we are doing and when I can get him down.  On a bad day he'll only sleep for an hour.  On a really good day he might do 2 1/2 or 3.  
• Nurses 5 to 6 times a day.  Breakfast, lunch, 3:00 or later if he's asleep at 3:00, bedtime, and then once or twice in the middle of the night.
• Has a bedtime of 7:00 to 7:30, and is finally starting to get pretty good about going to bed without any fuss!  I love when this finally happens!
• Loves to play in the dishwasher.  This is one of his favorite toys and whenever he hears it open he suddenly appears.  He is super helpful and removes everything from it.

 

Monday, February 1, 2016.

• Is so loved by his big sisters and brother.  Audrey is so good with him and he really trusts her.  He will let her hold him and carry him around.  Truman loves to play with him and tries to hold him, but Rhett is a little less tolerant of that.  Genevieve is always giving him kisses and loving on him.  He is very adored in our house. 

 Monday, February 8, 2016.  Happily being loved by Genevieve.  Lucky for her he's a good sport!

• Is a happy little guy.  Unless he is hungry or tired or has a dirty diaper, he is happy.  If he's ever upset, all we have to do is pick him up and he immediately calms down.  I've never had a baby like him in this regard.  Really, all he wants is us to hold him and he is happy.  
• Is plagued by ear infections the way the other kids were.  Poor baby.  Whenever he gets a cold he invariably gets an ear infection.  He does okay for awhile, but I can usually tell when he's clingy, not eating or sleeping quite as well, and has a low fever. 

My little Rhett is such a joy and such a blessing to our family.  I am so happy that we have him!  Little Rhett, your babyhood narrative might be a little sparse, but in no way does that reflect our love for you!  And I promise you more comprehensive look at one year!  

Rhett at SIX MONTHS! and SIX MONTH Pictures

This is incredibly late, but I had to post something.  At the end of November 2015, Rhett turned six months old!  It makes me so sad that my baby is growing up so quickly.  I am trying to soak up every moment of his babyhood, but it's going faster than any of the others!  Which might explain, at least partially, why this post is over four months past due.  It won't be as detailed as it should be, but at least it is something.

Rhett had his six month well child check on Tuesday, December 1, 2015.  He still hadn't doubled his birth weight, but was growing like a weed so there was no cause for concern.  He did have two ear infections so he got to start a round of antibiotics.  Poor guy. 

Here are his SIX MONTH stats:

Height: 28.5 inches, 95th percentile

Weight: 16 pounds 13 ounces, 36th percentile

Head: 44.7 centimeters, 87th percentile

Milestones since his four month check up:

• Sunday, October 4, 2015--Started showing interest in grabbing things and chewing on his fingers and fist.  Started trying to get his toes in his mouth.
• Monday, October 5, 2015--Only got up once during the night! (12:30 A.M.)
• Tuesday, October 6, 2015--Slept through the night!!! (Bed at 7:30 P.M. Tuesday and up at 6:30 A.M. Wednesday)
• Sunday, October 18, 2015--Really grabbing things.  Can sometimes get his paci in his mouth on his own!
• Monday, October 19, 2015--Really rolling and moving around a lot!
• Thursday, November 5, 2015--Moved his carseat straps to the top spot (infant seat)!
• Monday, November 16, 2015--First rice cereal!
• Monday, November 30, 2015--First sweet potatoes!

I don't have as much information about Rhett at six months as I normally do.  It was so long ago (in baby time) that I just can't remember everything.  But here are a few things I do remember.

At SIX MONTHS, Rhett:

• Wears size 2 diapers.
• Wears size 6-12, 9, and 12 month clothes.  He was really too tall for the 6 month stuff.
• Never wears shoes, but would probably have been a size 3.
• Has eyes that I don't know how to classify.  They aren't brown, but they aren't blue either.  They are kind of a light brownish, blue-gray.
• Has light brown hair with lots of blond in it.  He still has no hint of red in his hair, unlike his siblings.
• Doesn't sleep through the night yet, but does finally have a bedtime.  Rhett goes to bed around 7:30 and gets up for good anytime between 6:00 and 7:30 A.M.  He gets up to eat between 11:00 and 1:30 and then again between 3:00 and 5:00.  Occasionally he might only get up once, and even more rarely he has slept all night. 
• Takes one nap during the day, after lunch, for not nearly long enough.  He might sleep for an hour or hour and a half most days.  Occasionally it might be longer.  He needs more sleep, but won't take two naps and still go to bed at night.  If he takes a morning nap it's not until 10:00 or later.  Then he's not tired again until 4:00ish, which doesn't work with bedtime at all.
• Is super mobile!  Rhett was an early roller and hasn't stopped moving since.  He can roll around and kind of scoot, but will already get up on his hands and knees and rock.
• Can't sit up on his own.  When you sit him up he just falls over.  His pediatrician said it isn't typical, but he might learn to crawl before he can sit up.  We started working on the sitting after his appointment.
• Likes to eat baby food.  He still isn't great at it, but he seems to enjoy it and is getting the hang of it.  Audrey, Truman, and Genevieve love to try and feed him.

Rhett, I'm sorry this isn't a more complete picture.  I do want you to know that you were loved and adored at six months of age.  Your whole family loved to hold and cuddle and exclaim over every little thing you did.  We all loved you so much and thought the world of you.  We were so grateful to have you around!

We had Rhett's six month pictures taken at the end of December, so not too long after he turned six months.  Here they are.  I think this little guy is so, so handsome!

 

Truman at SIX! and SIX YEAR Pictures

Truman turned SIX!  I told him that I was going to keep him six forever and ever.  He didn't really like that, but he did like turning six.  He is getting to be such a big kid that I can hardly believe he was once my little roly poly boy.

Truman had his well child check on Thursday, November 12, 2015.  All was well and he is doing great.  Here are his SIX YEAR stats.

Height: 48 inches, 89th percentile

Weight: 53 pounds, 83rd percentile

According to TRUMAN, his favorites at SIX:

• Favorite color is green.
• Favorite candy is anything chocolate.
• Favorite books are Geronimo Stilton and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
• Favorite thing to do at school is math.
• Best friend is Everett.
• Favorite things to do outside are play soccer and go to the park.
• Favorite food Mom makes is Creamy Chicken and Cheese Casserole.
• Favorite dessert is chocolate sheet cake.
• Favorite board game is Sorry.
• Favorite video game is Minecraft.
• Favorite toys are Batman toys.
• Favorite show is Transformers: Rescue Bots.
• Favorite Primary song is "I Know That My Savior Loves Me."
• Favorite restaurants are Taco Bell and Red Robin.
• Does not like spicy foods, tomatoes, and plain zucchini.

According to ME, at SIX, Truman:

•  Wears mostly size 7 clothes.  He's in 7 for pants because the size 6 is too short.  But he can still wear a size small in shirts, which generally translates to a 6/7.
• Wears size 1 in shoes.
• Loves that he is now a kindergartner.  Truman loves riding the bus, recess, his teacher (Mrs. Schuyten), and all his friends.  He is so cute and enthusiastic about school and learning in general.  As expected, he is doing so well this year!  He is definitely a smart little guy!
• Has several friends from school that he talks about and seems to play with most of the time.  Most often, I hear about Everett, Roger, Cooper, Shae, and Emma.  He also likes to play with Manny and Christopher down the street and Josh C.
• Is a great eater.  Truman is pretty good about trying new things and even if he doesn't love something, he will often eat it if it's for dinner.  He really loves fruit and eats tons of it.  He also loves biscuits and gravy, spaghetti and meatballs, homemade waffles, and tuna sandwiches. 
• Has two snacks every day when he gets home from school.  They vary a little, but most of the time he has a container of yogurt and some kind of fruit, usually half an apple or orange or strawberries or grapes.
• Still loves to talk and still tells me about all the things that happen during the day.  I love this about him!  After Audrey, who is much less likely to tell me anything I don't drag out of her, unless she happens to be in the right mood, it is so much fun to listen to Truman talk.  He tells me about his teacher and all the things they did in class.  He tells me about the students and who was naughty or good or interesting things they say or do.  It is so awesome!

 We had Truman's six year pictures taken a few days after Christmas.  They turned out pretty well. Matt took him to get his hair cut a few days earlier and had the lady just buzz it.  I wasn't thrilled, but I still think he looks so handsome.  It just wasn't the look I was expecting for his pictures.

• Is in the CTR 5 class at church.  It is a big class with 10 active kids on the roll, most of them girls.  Sister Wilkins is still his teacher and he adores her.  She is amazing with those kids!
• Still sleeps in a folded over little ball.
• Sleeps with his shirt off most of the time.  I don't know when or how this started.  I remember going to get him up one morning and finding his shirt on the floor.  Truman explained that he was hot so he took it off.  I thought it was kind of funny, but now he sleeps like that most of the time, even in winter.  He complains that he gets sweaty, which I think is hilarious because we keep our heater on 66 during the day and turn it down to 60 when the kids go to bed!  I don't see how he can be hot, but I'm not going to fight him on this.
• Kind of turned into a different little boy once he started kindergarten.  In preschool Truman was pretty sweet, helpful, and serious.  Since kindergarten started he has turned into a pesky brother!  You know what I mean.  The brother that purposely does things to bug you and make you yell.  He will torment his sisters and nothing we do or say will stop him.  He is constantly teasing and pestering and is the goofiest kid.  He is always being silly and trying to make people laugh.  His room is a wreck all the time now, where it used to be neat and orderly.  Where he was once particular, he is now sloppy.  Where he used to be eager to help, he now does anything he can to get out of work.  I've wondered what they did to my little boy.  We did not go through anything like this with Audrey, but other moms have said the same thing about boys and kindergarten, so I guess it's normal.  Fortunately, he is still good at school so I think we'll make it.
• Started biting his fingernails once he started kindergarten!  This makes me crazy because a few months ago he didn't bite his fingernails at all!  I don't know what is happening and he can't explain it.
• Started playing Minecraft and Lego Star Wars on the Xbox and loves them.  We are still very strict about screen time, so he only gets to play on weekends, but he loves video games and will tell me all about them.  
• He also loves to watch TV and play on the computer or iPad.  He will spend as much time in front of screens as he possibly can.  He cannot hear or see anything other than the screens when they are on.

• Makes his own lunch for school.  Matt and I started the year by making it for him, but he has gradually taken over the responsibility.  Even when we made it for him, every night he would tell us exactly what he wanted in his lunch.  Now he makes it himself and does a great job!
• Loves to be read to.  Every night we read to the kids, one on one.  Matt has been reading Roald Dahl books and he loves them.  Truman truly loves books that are funny and will laugh and laugh.  His laugh is so loud and so full of joy!  I've been reading him Geronimo Stilton books and he thinks they are great.  
• Is a good little reader himself.  He is learning to read so well!  I am so amazed at how kids learn to read.  He knows his sight words and has no hesitation about sounding words out.  He is quite a good reader.  It's been interesting, his teacher's method is different from Audrey's kindergarten teacher, but they both learned to read quickly and well.
• Cannot (refuses?) to entertain himself.  If he is alone and there is no one to play with he will literally sit and do nothing rather than get out some toys and play by himself.  
• Got a reading lamp for Christmas that clamps to his headboard and loves to read in bed at night now.
• Is a fast runner and likes to be first.  
• Likes to play sports, but isn't all that into it when he's on his own.  With a team, he loves it.  But if you ever ask him to go outside and practice he will never want to.
• Plays soccer and t-ball.

• Has developed an interest in how the toilet works.  I know this sounds weird, but I will sometimes hear the tank scrape and know that he has the lid off and is looking to see how the mechanism works.  I guess all the STEM stuff at school is rubbing off on him! 
• Likes to know why things happen and how they work.  I love hearing him explaining the things he has learned, like the frog life cycle or cloud types.  I also love seeing him work out the how and why of things he doesn't understand.  It is so much fun to see how his brain works and hear his explanations.
• Has a really hard time when things don't go the way he wants or expects.  He will immediately get upset and no amount of logic or reasoning will calm him down.  He's been like this since he was a baby.  Now that he's older we can eventually talk to him enough that he will try and get over things.
• Picks out his own clothes and dresses himself every day except Sunday.  He's been doing this for several years so it's nothing new, but I felt I should mention it here.  On Sunday morning he won't get dressed until I pick out his clothes.  For some reason he always says he doesn't know what matches and he won't even attempt to pick out his church clothes.  This is frustrating for me because I expect my kids to be pretty independent by six.  On the other hand, it is kind of nice that I still get to pick out his clothes one day a week.
• Is still a pretty affectionate little guy.  I love that he refuses to go to bed at night until he has given everyone a hug and kiss and gotten one from them too.  He will still snuggle with you if you ask him too.

Truman is a smart, curious, bright little man and we are so fortunate to have him in our family.  I see that little face and those bright blue eyes and that sly little grin and it makes me so happy.  My sweet little smoochy faced baby is growing into a boy.  He is changing so much lately that I sometimes wonder where the little guy has gone.  But he's still in there and it is exciting to see the good person he is becoming.  I feel so lucky to have this special boy as my son.  He is truly amazing.  I am truly fortunate.

Rhett at FOUR MONTHS!

My baby Rhett will be six months old in a few weeks, so his four month post will be a little abbreviated.  Time is passing too quickly and this boy is growing up too fast.  He was supposed to stay my little baby for a long time, but he isn't!  He is more advanced than my other kids were at his age and it makes me a little sad.  Even though he is getting so big and so accomplished, I feel like I'm a little better able to relish my time with him.  I'm not sure why I feel that way.  I'm certainly a lot more busy now and he is growing up more quickly, but I feel like I'm soaking up every minute I have with him better than I did with the others.

Rhett had his four month well child check on Tuesday, September 29, 2015.  He was big and healthy, although his weight is still low for one of my children.  He gained four pounds since his two month check up so he jumped 20 percentile points.  He remains the tallest of all my babies.

Here are Rhett's FOUR MONTH stats:

Height: 26 inches, 85th percentile

Weight: 15 pounds 13 ounces, 58th percentile

Head: 42.5 centimeters, 76th percentile

 

Rhett is such a sweet little guy and I love having him around.  It's hard to believe he hasn't always been with us.  Here is a look at my Rhett.  At FOUR MONTHS, Rhett:

• Wears size 1 diapers.
• Wears size 3-6 and 6 month clothes.
• Still doesn't wear shoes so I have no idea what shoe size he would be.
• Has dark blue/gray eyes, but now they look like they have a little brown in them at the centers near the pupil.  I am really interested to see what color they turn out to be.  I don't think they'll be dark brown, but they won't be bright blue like Truman's either.  I think they might be a darker version of Audrey's gray eyes.
• Started sitting in the Bumbo.  He's still kind of floppy, he needs to strengthen his core, but he's doing great and looks so big sitting there!

 This was taken on Tuesday, September 15, 2015.  My cute little man is getting so big!

• Lost almost all of the hair he was born with.  We didn't notice it much though because new hair was already growing in.  So he never went bald or got any bald spots.  I can tell because the new hair is shorter and sticks up on top.  He has this cute little fuzzy head that I love to rub!  It is a soft to medium brownish color with some blond in it.  It doesn't seem to have any red in it at all.
• Is starting to laugh!  It is the sweetest sound!  He started trying to laugh around August 12 and had his first real laugh on Thursday, September 17.  I was playing with him and laughing and he just started laughing and laughing.  It was precious!
• Is very loved by his siblings.  Audrey is so good with him.  She will pick him up and hold him and play with him and sing to him.  He really seems to love her and responds to her attention.  Truman loves to talk and play with Rhett and can really make him laugh.  Genevieve just gives him tons of kisses and talks to him all day.  She'll lie next to him and always wants to be near him.  When I'm feeding him she always wants to sit on the side next to his head so she can give him kisses.

 Rhett with Audrey on Wednesday, August 26, 2015.

 Trumey T and Rhett on Friday, September 11, 2015.

 Genevieve and Rhett on Tuesday, September 8, 2015.

• Has clammy hands and feet.  I don't know why, but they have always been this way.
• Loves baths.  He now gets excited when he hears the water running and will splash and splash in the tub.  
• Sometimes naps in his swing.  Actually, most of the time he naps in his swing.  I'm working on getting him moved to his crib.

 Rhett wearing the BYU onesie I wore as a baby on Saturday, September 5, 2015.

• Finally started to settle into a bedtime.  By about August 17 he was going to bed between 8:00 and 8:30 pretty consistently.  I was so happy!
• Got his first cold on August 30.  Poor baby!  Luckily it wasn't too severe and he got over it pretty quickly.
• Is starting to grab things and put them in his mouth.  It's fun to see him start to reach for things and try and get what he wants.

 

Rhett grabbing a placemat on Monday, September 14, 2015.

• Was really talking and gurgling by the beginning of September.  It's so much fun to hear him vocalize and make those sweet baby sounds.
• Moved from the cradle in our room to the pack 'n' play in our closet on Sunday, September 13.  It was time for him to graduate.  He did great!
• Rolled from his back to his tummy on Tuesday, September 15, at three and a half months old!  He had been rolling from his tummy to his back for a long time, but he finally did it the other way.  Once he did it one time that was it.  He started doing it all the time.  You would put him down and he would immediately flip over.  He is our earliest roller by about a month and a half.  Genevieve rolled at five months so Rhett definitely has her beat.

 You can see how this boy can roll in these pictures, taken Thursday, September 17, 2015.

 Now that he's rolling around he can get to more things to chew on!  Taken Thursday, October 1, 2015.

• Sat in his high chair while we at dinner on Thursday, September 17.  He is always fussy at dinnertime.  He is tired and ready to eat and go to bed, but I have to keep him up for a little longer.  So dinner is usually stressful and miserable.  When we put him in his high chair he was much happier.  Maybe he just wanted to be part of the family!
• Started going to bed awake and falling asleep on his own the week of September 20.  This is huge for me!  I love when they start learning to do this!
• Is starting to suck and chomp on his fingers and fist.  I noticed him doing this the week of September 20.  I think it is adorable.  Again it just shows he isn't a tiny baby anymore.
• Has started trying to get his feet into his mouth.  When he does it it's the cutest thing ever!

I am so thankful to have this little man in our family!  We all adore him and love his sweet spirit and personality!  We love you baby Rhett!

Genevieve at THREE!

My little Genevieve is three!  She is growing up so fast that I sometimes feel like I can't keep up.  My beautiful girl was so excited to turn three and have a birthday party this year.  Genevieve is a constant source of amusement and frustration in our home.  We love her to pieces, but her stubbornness can be maddening.  As difficult as she can be, I wouldn't change her if I could.  This girl is a blessing and a doll and I feel lucky that we have her in our family.

Genevieve had her well child check on Thursday, September 3, 2015.  As I expected, there were no issues or problems.  Here are her stats.

Height: 37 3/4 inches, 75th percentile

Weight: 34 pounds, 90th percentile

I feel like this girl is changing by the minute.  She is learning so much and things she says or does are replaced by new things before I notice.  I've been making a list for the past couple of months of things about Genevieve because I don't want to forget these things.  Here is a glimpse of our baby girl at THREE.  

At THREE YEARS OLD, Genevieve:

• Wears size 3T or 4T clothes.  Some of the 4T stuff is too big, but it works.  However, Genevieve wears mostly Audrey's hand-me-downs, and because of this, she mostly has 4T and a few 5T things she has to fit into.
• Wears size 7 1/2 or 8 shoes.
• Wears size 4 diapers, although I moved her to size 5 shortly after her birthday, mainly because she needed something bigger at night.  We do plan on potty training her sometime, and she really wants to use the potty, but I haven't had the gumption to do it yet.  When she started preschool last year she started using, or trying to use, the potty at preschool.  I don't know how successful she was because every time I put her on the toilet at home she didn't do anything.  But she tried at preschool all the time and talks about using the toilet.
• Has beautiful dark brown eyes.  It looks like she might be our only child with brown eyes like her mama, which is surprising.
• Has gorgeous dark brown hair with lots of red and blonde highlights.  She gets lots of compliments on her hair, from people we know and complete strangers.  It looks like she might be our only dark headed child, which is also surprising to me.
• Is adorably pretty.  People will stop me in the store to tell me how beautiful she is.  Lots of grandmas and grandpas also mention that we are going to be in trouble when she's older.  She is very pretty and I wish the pictures I took could capture her beauty and impish personality better.  There is something irresistible in those eyes and that little mouth that pictures don't do justice, but that are immediately evident in person.
• Loves shoes.  The TV was on one day and there was a commercial for a shoe store.  They were talking about boots and Genevieve excitedly said, "Boots?  I love boots!"

These were taken Tuesday, October 14, 2014.  She even loves shoes that belong to other people.

• Goes to preschool and loves it!  Whenever I say anything about Genevieve going to school she will always laugh really loudly and say, "No!  Not school!  Preschool!" 
• Loves to dance.  She dances at then ends of movies and TV shows during the credits.  She dances anytime we listen to music.  It's very cute and if someone else is dancing she will try to copy them.  One day she said to me, "I love to dance.  I love to get trophies."
• Has a favorite song.  It's "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift.  Genevieve can recognize this song from just a few notes and will start dancing no matter where she is when she hears it. 
• Is a smart little thing.  She is especially good with numbers.  She can count to 20 and only leaves out 14 or 16 and recognizes numbers up to 12.  She seems to pick up on things pretty quickly, maybe because she's got two older siblings to listen to and learn from.
• Does weird little things sometimes.  I really don't know if this is related or not, but we took away her pacifiers during the last year.  Genevieve did great, but on more than one occasion we would get home from taking Truman to preschool and I'd find her passed out in the car like this.

These pictures were taken on Wednesday, October 29, 2014.  I thought it was so funny!  Poor little Lego man!

 These last two pictures were taken on Wednesday, November 19, 2014.  Poor Cinderella.

• LOVES milk!  She would drink nothing but milk if I let her.  She practically does even with me trying to force water into her.  She loves it!
• Holds her cup with her fists when she drinks.  She says she does it that way when her hands are dirty.  I guess so that she doesn't get her cup dirty?  It's kind of strange and I'm always worried she's going to drop her cup. 
• Gets so excited about presents and other exciting things.  Of all our kids, Genevieve has the best reactions to gifts and other exciting things.  She will jump up and down and exclaim and say it's just what she wanted and her favorite thing ever.  It is so gratifying to see her reactions.
• Has this sweet way she brushes her hair out of her face.  Genevieve's hair fall straight into her face when it's down so I always have to pull it up.  It always amazes me that even after it's been up all day, as soon as I take it out it falls back into her face.  Even though we keep it up most of the time, sometimes it's down and even when it's up, throughout the day hair will escape the rubber band.  So she uses her flat hand to brush the hair out of her face.  She kind of wipes it across her face and forehead.  It's very sweet.
• Easily climbs out of her crib.  Shortly before Rhett was born we moved her out of her crib, but she had been able to climb out of it for ages.  In fact, she wouldn't let us put her in it or take her out of it anymore.  She had to do it herself.  This was fine except when she would climb out at night or during naptime and play or make a big mess.. 

 This was taken on Saturday, November 8, 2014.

 On Saturday, November 15, 2014.  This time she made a big mess with her books!

• Has her very own nonsense phrase.  Do all kids do this?  Say something all the time that doesn't mean anything?  All of my kids have and my mom said I did too (mine was "feevoo").  Anyway, Genevieve started saying "Hi go," all the time in various situations.  Later she added "diamond" to the end so that it became, "Hi go diamond."  It drove Audrey and Truman crazy and they would ask what it meant.  It cracked all of them up so she kept saying it!
• Went through a pretty long phase where she had an unusual way of saying good bye.  I'm not sure when or why it started, but she started saying, "Have a good day, cheese sandwich!", whenever she left a room or said goodbye to someone.  I think the first part comes from me because that's what I say to Matt every morning.  But the cheese sandwich part is all her.
• Still needs a nap!  Every day after lunch I put Genevieve down for a nap.  She stays in her room for a couple of hours and then I go get her.  Some days Genevieve doesn't take a nap during naptime.  She will stay in her room and play and read books and is very good, but won't go to sleep anymore.  But she still really needs a nap.  On the days she doesn't nap she is very grumpy and grouchy and can be a bit difficult to be around. She will even tell you that she's sleepy!

 This picture is from Thursday, July 9, 2015.  Genevieve was sick this day and after missing her nap to go and see the doctor, fell asleep in the chair before dinner.  Poor baby.  She is so sweet and looks so peaceful when she's asleep though!

• Loves to eat "peanuts."  Last Christmas (2014) I put a dish of mixed nuts and a dish of pistachios out.  Genevieve really liked the pistachios and would ask me to open her "peanuts" for her all the time.  Now, all nuts are peanuts and she does like most of them.  But I think pistachios are her favorite.
• Has a favorite movie.  It's Barbie: Princess and the Pop Star.  But Genevieve calls it Princess and the Wop Star.
• Says she loves the Mariners and playing baseball.  It's cute how she says it--base-baw."  When the big kids were practicing their baseball and softball this year Genevieve wouldn't be left out.  She'd get her pink Barbie glove and a plastic softball and have Matt throw to her.  She was super cute and really tried to remember how to throw a softball.  Unlike the other two, she seems like she'll be teachable.
• Loves Ranch dressing!  It's one of her favorite things, along with sour cream.  However, it still makes her face turn red wherever it touches her skin.

 I snapped this one on Saturday, November 22, 2014, at Truman's soccer party.  I looked over, and Genevieve was lapping up the Ranch!

• Calls Truman "Tree-man."  
• Has favorite church songs.  She loves "Jesus Wants For Me a Sunbeam" (Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam) and "Go to the Temple" (I Love to See the Temple).  
• Loves going to nursery on Sunday.  She calls it "hersery" and looks forward to it.  She loves to play with the babies and her friends and do bubbles.
• Says "Can I have a try?" when she wants to taste something you are eating.
• Is a pretty good eater, of the things she likes.  Pancakes and scrambled eggs are high on her list of yummy foods.  She also likes macaroni and cheese, cheese (American and cheddar), milk, cereal, pretzels, yogurt (only the smooth flavors), biscuits and gravy, and candy.  She also likes cheesy rolls and cheese sandwiches (American cheese on bread, sometimes melted).  She likes almost no vegetables, although I can get her to eat two or three peas if I force the issue.  She particularly does not like green beans or anything green.  She will eat applesauce and grapes but no other fruit, and it sometimes takes coercion to get her to eat those.  I often say she wouldn't be alive if it weren't for carbs and dairy, especially dairy.

 These are from Saturday, January 10, 2015.  On Saturdays when we're home, Matt makes his homemade pancakes.  These pictures show a typical morning.  We had all finished eating and were starting to clear the table.  Genevieve started yelling when we tried to clear the leftover pancakes.  She grabbed the plate and held onto it while she ate to protect it and keep us from taking it.  She can eat an impressive amount of pancakes!  When she was finally finished she allowed us to clear the leftovers, although sometimes she finishes all of them!

• Likes to ask me what the colors of stoplights mean.  She'll ask me what red means and I'll tell her it means stop.  Then she'll ask what yellow means and I'll say it means to slow down and proceed with caution because the light is about to turn red.  Then she'll ask what green means.  When I tell her that green means go she laugh and say "No it doesn't!  Green means race!"  I don't know where this came from, but it's become a little game she likes to play.  Green always means race.
• Loves her Lamby and cupcake blanket.  These are her comfort items.
• Doesn't listen.  This is a constant source of pain for Matt and me, and Genevieve too!  But the girl has her own agenda and nothing you say, beg, plead, cajole, bribe, or threaten is going to change it.  I know this might be a good thing as she gets older, but right now it is maddening.

These are from Thursday, April 2, 2015.  Besides being adorable, here is a prime example of something with which Genevieve refuses to comply.  When it's time to go somewhere she is supposed to get in the car, get in her carseat, and buckle herself in.  This makes it easier for me because then all I have to do is tighten her straps.  But will she do this?  Nope.  Never.  On this particular day I came out to the van to find her playing Mommy to the big kids.  She was even telling them to be quiet.  Very cute, but very naughty.

• Calls Jello "Jell."  
• Likes to play with Lalaloopsy dolls.  However, she calls them "Lalapoopsy."  This used to drive Truman nuts and he would always correct her.  But I think it's super cute!  Especially since she can't say her "L's" so it sounds like "Wawapoopsy."
• Misses her pacifier.  On Wednesday, March 25, 2015, Genevieve lost her last pacifier.  Just like the other kids, she handled it very well and still slept and never cried or got upset.  But she did miss it.  She would talk about her pacifiers and remind me of what happened to them.  The purple and pink ones broke (she bit through them) and then the blue one broke.  Then she lost the green one because she had it out of her crib.  So while she seemed to understand, she did really miss her pacifiers.  I actually found the lost one a few days later and just threw it away without her knowing.  One day Genevieve found her pacifier clips.  I think those were more important to her than the pacifiers were so she started carrying them around.  She would smell them and tell us how they smelled good.  Then she found a baby doll pacifier and started using that at naps.  She'd put the nub in her mouth, drape the ribbon under her nose, and be happy as a clam. 

I took these pictures on Saturday, April 4, 2015.

• Is a silly goofball.  If she says or does something that makes us laugh she'll remember it and do it or say it over and over again later.  She had this joke she told for a long time that we could barely understand, but cracked her up and made us laugh just because it made her laugh.  I couldn't really understand the first part, but the punchline went something like, "He said to him mom, 'I want to take a bath!'"  This was hysterical to her.
• Will ask Matt to sing her "Whale a Tale" ("A Whale of a Tale").  We have a Disney CD with this song on it and everyone likes it.  When Matt's giving her a bath she'll ask him to sing it to her.
• Loves to dress up.  Really, really loves to dress up.  Genevieve is definitely the girliest of my girls.  She talks about the princesses like they are her friends and she loves to wear their dresses.  She also loves anything fancy--church clothes, shoes, bracelets, necklaces, sparkly shirts, socks with butterflies on them, bows, etc.  But she does love the princesses!

These were taken on Tuesday, April 14, 2015.  These are a perfect example of her love to dress up and act goofy.  She did something and smacked her forehead.  The kids laughed so she kept doing it.

 

This is from Saturday, August 1, 2015.  Our little Elsa is so pretty!  Unlike Audrey, Genevieve likes you to call her the name of princess she is dressed up as.  She will even correct you and say, "I'm not Genevieve, I'm Elsa!"

• Loves BYU.  I don't think she has an understanding of what BYU really is, especially since she mainly just sees Matt watching sports on TV.  But she still likes it.  She now calls it "B bye U" and the other day she told me "B bye U is on TV."  
• Will cry and get her feelings hurt if she is yelled at or told she's naughty or thinks someone is being harsh with her.  In this way, she is really very sensitive.  
• Thinks you are silly if she tells you she loves you and you don't say "I love you too" back to her.  If she says "Mommy, I love you" and I reply "I love you Genevieve," she'll go, "No!  You're supposed to say 'I love you toooo!'"  You really can't argue with that.
• Is a champion fit thrower.  The girl is the queen of tantrums.  Anytime.  Anywhere.  For any reason.  And there is absolutely nothing you can do but ride it out.  Once she's done, she's a dream.  But nothing you do will ever get her to rethink her current course.

This picture was taken on Friday, May 1, 2015, at Audrey's Lego Night at school.  She got mad over something, that none of us knew or understood, and flopped down right in the middle of the cafegymatorium.  It's a small school and we know a lot of people so we just left her there.  She was in sight so I thought it better than to fight her on it.  Eventually she got tired and came back to play with our family.

• Got on a kick where every Sunday she would ask Matt to draw her Mad Cat over and over and over again.  I'm not exactly sure how it started.  I think Matt drew a cat one Sunday and it looked mad to her.  So she started asking him to draw it and Mad Cat was born.  She'll say "Draw Mad Cat!" If Matt doesn't do it then all kinds of ruckus breaks loose.  We have spiral notebooks filled with pictures of Mad Cat.
• Has decided that she doesn't like boys.  She likes to listen to girl music and doesn't want anything to do with boy dolls or characters.  She tells me she only likes the girls.  The other day we read a book that had a pink bear in it.  She told me she had a pink bear and went to her toy box and pulled out my old Cheer Bear.  I explained to her that Cheer Bear was mine when I was a little girl and I really loved him.  She asked me if it was a boy or girl and when I answered that he is a boy, she said, "No boy stuff in my room.  He has to go in Truman's room."  Then she took my poor bear and dumped him onto Truman's floor.  I rescued him and put him back in the toy box, but the girl is serious!  Luckily she loves her dad and brothers.
• Thinks her name is sometimes Genevieve and sometimes Evie.  One day I called her Evie and she told me it wasn't her name.  I explained that her name is Genevieve, but that we call her Evie for short.  In her little two year old mind that translated to mean that when she is wearing shorts, her name is Evie, but when she is wearing long pants, her name is Genevieve.  It's very funny to see her look down after you address her and hear her say, "My name is not Genevieve.  My name is Evie."  If you ask her why she'll explain the whole thing to you.     
• Fiercely loves her baby brother.  She smothers him in kisses, wants to know where he is if she doesn't see him, and talks and sings to him.  It is so sweet to see how much she cares for this little brother of hers.

Thursday, June 4, 2015.

Sunday, July 12, 2015.

• Is obsessed with the computer.  She is always sitting at it,  looking at whatever happens to be on the screen, and pushing buttons and keys.  It drives me nuts!  Sometimes when I remind her that she isn't supposed to touch the computer she'll say things like, "I have to do my email!"
• Calls washrags, "ash rags." 
• Loves her big sister Audrey.  Genevieve went through a stage where she would wake up before Audrey in the morning and climb out of her crib and climb into bed with Audrey.  It was adorable to walk into their room in the morning and see Genevieve lying next to her big sister.  Sometimes Audrey would still be asleep and sometimes she would be awake and they would be talking.  Genevieve really does love Audrey and really does look up to her.  Now that she is in a toddler bed, Genevieve won't go to sleep until Audrey is in the room.  She will sit up and read books until Audrey comes in.
• Knows she is big, but doesn't mind being little when it suits her.  If there is something she doesn't want to do she will say, "But I'm little!"  She also likes to sit in Rhett's carseat and has tried relaxing in his bouncer and swing.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015.

• Has a sweet little voice.  Of all my children her voice comes the closest to a squeaky little girl voice.  All of my kids have pretty low voices but Genevieve's is a bit higher.  It sounds very sweet when she talks.
• Has lots of energy and runs and bounces all over the place.  She kind of reminds me of Tigger. 
• Loves, loves, loves Frozen and Anna and Elsa.  Her Anna and Elsa dolls are her babies and she plays with them and carries them around.  She loves all things Frozen, except the boys, and gets so excited whenever she sees her beloved princesses.
• Loves books!  She loves to read and be read to.  As always, this makes me so happy!  Lately she is into Pinkalicious, Fancy Nancy, Maisy books, her Princess and the Popstar book (Barbie), and her Disney Princess Look and Find books.  She likes just about everything though.

Here she is reading Rhett a cookbook on Tuesday, September 22, 2015.

Sunday, August 9, 2015, I saw her baby Elsa like this.  I asked Genevieve what was happening and she said Elsa wanted to read a book.  So cute!

• Loves to play with baby dolls!  Genevieve really likes to play with dolls and animals.  She talks to them, carries them around, feeds them, puts them to bed, and talks to me about them.  It's very cute and very sweet and she takes good care of her babies.
• When she puts her babies to bed she'll tell me, "Shhh.  My babies are sleeping."   
• Knows her full name.  Knows Audrey's and Truman's too.  She says Matt's name is "Daddy Matt Ho-wee-yoke" (she always says Holyoak that way) and mine is "Mommy Blonde Holyoak."  She used to say Rhett's name was "Rhett Rhettini Holyoak" but now she says it is "Rhett Harris-tini Holyoak."
• Gets mad when Truman tells her her dolls aren't babies.  She always refers to them as babies, but Truman is a literal kid and will correct her and say they aren't babies.  She gets so mad at him.

Matt swaddled up Anna and Elsa for her and she loved it!  Wednesday, August 5, 2015.

• Has two favorite colors--pink and purple.  Big surprise.
• Likes to do hair.  She will sit behind me when we're reading scriptures or when I'm on the computer and brush and put clips in my hair.
• Is very loud for a person with such a sweet little voice.  Sometimes I tell Matt that she's our own little Dora.  She just screams everything.  Maybe it's because she is competing with the big kids and trying to be heard.  Or maybe it's because her voice is a little smaller than the others.  But she is loud, loud, loud.  She will get in Rhett's face and just scream, "I love you baby!  You are cute!"  She isn't trying to be mean, but it is so loud!
• Talks to Rhett through clenched teeth just like Audrey used to do with Truman.  She does it when she's telling him how cute he is and how much she loves him.  Just like Audrey.
• Loves princesses!  Genevieve loves to play with her princesses.  I love that she loves this.  Every day she'll ask, "Can I play princesses?"  I'll tell her she can and she'll get out her Little People castle, celebration (garden tea party), Ariel's grotto, and all the vehicles to transport them from the box in the hall to the living room.  She'll sit and play them by herself for a long time.  It's so cute to hear her talking to them and making up stories.

Thursday, July 2, 2015.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015.

• Because she loves to play princesses so much, she takes to heart the things they say.  Her little castle talks when you put the princesses in certain spots.  Several of the princesses talk about dreams coming true.  Genevieve has incorporated this into her prayers.  She'll say, "Bless our dreams come true", or "Bless us to have dreams."  It's very sweet.
• Went through a phase where she had to say her prayers by herself.  We'd always end up prompting her, but she would get mad at us.  
• Also went through a phase, around the end of 2014 and beginning of 2015, where she had to say every prayer.  She would get very mad and pout if anyone else said a prayer.
• Started praying for Matt's mom last fall when she got sick and never stopped.  She still says, "Bless Grammy and bless her doctors," in every prayer she says.  When my dad broke his arm she added in, "Bless Grandpa's arm to feel better."
• Has started liking to color.  It's very cute to see the sweet little drawings she makes and the pretty pictures she colors.  She got a Sophia Color Wonder book for Easter and she likes that one a lot.  She'll say, "Can I color Sophia?"  Most of the time she colors everything purple.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015.

Genevieve is our little firecracker girl.  She is the child who stretches us and challenges us the most as parents.  Often, Matt and I just look at each other with resignation on our faces when it comes to Genevieve because we truly don't know what to do with this girl.  But we love her more than anything.  She is the sweetest little girl and is loving and caring.  She will give you hugs and kisses and tell you she loves you for no reason at all.  And when she looks up at you with those big brown eyes, it's impossible to be frustrated with her.

Our Genevieve certainly has a mind of her own and an iron will.  She also has a tender heart and loving soul.  We are so glad to have this sweet girl in our family.  I count her as a blessing every day and can't imagine what we would do without her.  We love her so much!