Owen at 5 years (!)

I love 5 year olds. I do. Owen is independent (and gaining more by the day), curious, cuddly, compliant, and still wants us to be his best friend! I know some of these qualities will wax and ultimately wane as he gets older, and sometimes I just want to bottle him up at 5.

Here's our (not so) little O:

Weight: 40.6 lbs

Height: 44.5 inches (3ft 7inches)

Favorite Color: Red

Favorite Toy: Hot Wheels

Favorite Food: Mac N Cheese

Favorite Activity: Running

Favorite Number: 100

Favorite Lovey: Ralphie

When I Grow Up I want to be a Scientist.

Owen, the Mayor, continues to be a social butterfly. He knows the name of everyone at school. He also knows their siblings names' & ages. He watches outside for neighbors to be out, and often he'll go greet them. He's definitely an extrovert, but he's also very self entertaining and can sit and focus on quiet activities (yay!). Hot wheels & Legos are still very cool. He's got a knack for coloring (in the lines of course- future engineer), and he's working on copying letters and writing some words besides his name. He will be receiving sight words for Valentine's Day. (Aren't I the coolest mom ever?)

Lately he gets himself dressed without too much argument (unless it's church clothes day), and he can fix himself breakfast. He is a professional procrastinator when it comes to bed time, but not every kid can be perfect, right? This week O will start soccer, which I hope will be wonderful. The kid loves to run and run fast!

We kicked off his birthday with a donut cake! Certainly on the 27th of December, you need to start the day out with sugar!

And he chose to spend the day doing legos with daddy....

again, we know these days are fleeting. #nottakingitforgranted.

After the girls slept we went to Chuck E Cheese and then to dinner with Mima & Papa Wade and the Nieders clan!

Lego CITY!

In our house, we have a rule that you have to be 5 in order to have gum. This is mostly because I want to make sure the kids are old enough to spit it in the trash, and not the carpet, when they are done. I found this yard of bubblegum and just couldn't help but buy it!

Birthday Buds!

How many out takes are necessary to get a picture of Mima & 3 grandkids?

A week later we had a blast of a birthday party with Auntie Alaska doing some face painting. Wow. What.a.hit! I had offered (and booked) to let Owen have his party at an indoor soccer field. He just wanted to have it at home. How could I say no?

He did invite some friends- the Francis & Marske boys.

Crazy kid. He wanted a Star Wars cake, even though he has never seen any of the movies and doesn't know the characters ;) Marketing works, I suppose. He knows it's cool because the stores are flooded with Star Wars 'stuff'.

Cool Cat.

This trio just felt like they were on top of the world all painted up!

They also had already consumed cake, ice cream, cotton candy, and all of the holiday m&ms I was trying to get out of the house!

Owen, we are so proud of you. You're a wonderful son & brother. Your sisters are lucky to have you! Can't watch year 5 and the start of kindergarten unfold!

Macy 7 & 8 Months: Still delightful

Months 7 & 8 have shown us that our Macy is still delightful, fun, flexible, etc. I suppose 3rd time really is the charm! The big kids adore her, and she adores them. She is more intrigued by Owen than anyone else!

I'm also happy to report that I have no idea how much she weighs because I haven't needed to bring her in to the ped! Her next well check is 9 months, so stay tuned. I can tell you the car seat is getting awfully heavy!

She's got one tooth (!)... my earliest teether. And she's wearing 6-12 or 9 month clothes. Depends on the brand.

She loves to teeth on these little finger puppets from Target. Rudolph with your nose so bright.....??

The best way to bring Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. She's a squealer. Then Millie imitates the squeal. Ouch.

Santa Baby had a wonderful first Christmas.

She still has an expressive brow line (just like her older brother). In her case, she's less pensive but definitely animated! Sitting so well on her own, too! Thankfully, she can't really get from sitting to crawling, yet. I know this is short lived, but I appreciate the ability to keep her in one spot!

During a diaper change. She's at the age where she'd rather be on the go, and she gets frustrated when she's down for too long! She's also starting to have a little bit of separation anxiety. So she's happy to be on the go if we are in sight ;)

She prefers to be under her exersaucer instead of in it! She has to conquer quite the hump to get in there, but she does it repeatedly! (Notice she has a ball in her hand. She'll crawl all over the room chasing a ball these days!).

Our front room is sunken. For the last 6 weeks that she's been mobile, this has been the perfect 'Macy's safe zone'. The big kids know that choking hazards aren't allowed, and Macy's toys reign supreme. The other day I saw her trying to get up the step....

....and she was successful on the first try. Ack! I've got some things to figure out.

She's imitating my face when I saw her crawl on all fours for the first time this week. (Just kidding). This was round one of the 8 month photo shoot. She was ready for bed, though.

This is also the face she gives when we try to leave her in the nursery. She.cries.every.time. #strangerdanger

Little miss has tried ALL sorts of foods. Peas, green beans, avocados, carrots, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, squash, pumpkin, corn, rice, oats, apples, pears, mango, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, grapes, chicken, and now crackers! 

A better, more drooly, 8 month shot. She's not as cuddly as Millie, but she is giving kisses (or teething on our chins...). It's a very slobbery process. It's also endearing!

She passed her screening this week by the parents as teachers lady. Verbally she's up to par, babbling mama, dada, gaga. She's not assigning these terms to anyone yet, that's more of a 10 month old trait!

She's still sleeping though the night & napping 2-3 times/day.

We love this baby more and more as we get to know her better. Thank you, Jesus, for this delightful little bundle.

Warm Springs Ranch

In October, we (the senior Wades, junior Wades, and Nieders) road tripped to Boonville, MO. That's said 'boon-vull' if you were wondering.

The Warm Springs Ranch (aka Budweiser Clydesdale breeding ground) lives in Boonville, and wow, it's a glorious, gorgeous place. If I had blogged about this Ranch in October when we went, I would have been able to record details about number of ranch hands, Clydesdale gestation periods, etc. But, well.. It's no longer October.

Lots of great pics to share, though!

This place is simply gorgeous.

Nature at it's absolute best. How beautiful is this picture of a less than one month old Clydesdale nursing from him mama? I do remember that Clydesdales wean at 5 months. I was still nursing Macy at that time and decided if a Clydesdale could wean at 5 months, so could a Macy.

Close up of baby. There were 5-6 babies that we saw, and they all had the same daddy. #stallion.

The Baby Clydesdale's name starts with the same letter as their mama's. Except for one time when Belle had a baby that the farm hands named Taco.

I think the horse weighs more than all of us put together!

Great family! It was obviously a warm day in October!

#horsedrawncarriage

Wee bitty Macy!

This celebrity Stallion has starred in some super bowl Bud commercials.

This special horse will be a stallion soon. They start breeding at age 4 (I think). So right now, he's 'dating around' to find some ladies that he has a natural tendency toward. Hard life, right?

Thanks for a great day, Warm Springs Ranch!

Here are some FAQs from the website:

Can any Clydesdale be a Budweiser Clydesdale?

No. In order to join the World Famous Budweiser hitch, a Clydesdale must meet certain requirements. They must stand at least 18 hands high (or 6 feet tall). They must be geldings and at least 4 years old. They must have a bay coat, four white stockings, a blaze of white on the face, a black mane and a black tail. And they must weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds.

How much does a Clydesdale eat and drink?

Each hitch horse consumes as much as 20 to 25 quarts of whole grains, minerals, and vitamins, 50 to 60 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.

How do the Clydesdales travel?

Ten horses, the famous red, white, and gold beer wagon and other essential pieces of equipment are transported in three 50-foot tractor-trailers. Air cushioned suspension and thick rubber flooring in the trailers ease the rigors of travelling. And the team stops each night at local stables so the gentle giants can rest.

What does it take to drive a hitch of Clydesdales?

Driving the combined 12 tons of wagon and horses requires expert skill and physical strength. The 40 pounds of lines held by the driver plus the tension of the horses pulling creates a weight of over 75 pounds. That’s why the hitch drivers endure a lengthy training process before they assume the prestigious role of “Budweiser Clydesdale Hitch Driver.”

Do the Clydesdales have a special harness?

Yes. Each harness is handcrafted with solid brass, patent leather, and stitched with pure linen thread. The harness is made to fit any Clydesdale; however, collars come in various sizes and must be individually fitted to the Clydesdales like a finely tailored suit. Each harness and collar weigh approximately 130 pounds.

How big is a Clydesdale horseshoe?

Clydesdale horseshoes measure more than 20 inches from end to end and weigh about five pounds – more than twice as long and five times as heavy as the shoe worn by a light horse.

Our little Patriot

Every Good & Perfect Gift is From Above. James 1:17

Although I'm way behind on blog posting, I find it fitting to begin 2016 reminiscing about one of our best days of 2015, Macy's baptism. What a blessing it is to baptize our baby in a church that we see as one of God's greatest gifts to our family. We love the teaching, the theology, and the community that The Gathering offers. Truly we are closer to God and have a more fruitful marriage because of this church.  

Rev. Matt Fulmer, the site pastor for the Clayton site where we attend,

did the honors of baptizing our sweet little Macy Evelyn.

She was asleep just in time for the water.

Always true to form, though, she was calm & flexible despite her rude awakening.

We are so blessed by Macy's godparents, Steve Schuster & Alison Francis. Steve and Mike have been friends, well, since forever. Ali and I have been friends since college..and well that is actually farther in the past than I would care to admit! Both are humble servants of God, raising their own families up to know Christ's love. We know they will pray for our Macy fervently and support her always. We sure are grateful for these two!

Love

Here are Mima & Papa Wade with their sweet Macy girl. She wore the gown that was hand stitched by her great grandmother Evelyn Wade (her namesake). The eyelet is perfect, the rosebuds so delicate. This dress is stunning and represents quite the legacy. We were thrilled she could wear it for her special day.  (We actually chose to baptize her early enough that her arms would still fit... ran in to that trouble a bit with Amelia!)

Auntie Tricia (Schuster) getting in some sleepy time cuddles.

Pure joy!

Mima & Papa Cooper with that beautiful baby!

Sure wish she was loved...

Kisses abound!

#blessed.

Macy, you have been given a gift that will not be given to anyone else. You are special, a treasure that is unique and cannot be duplicated. You have been given a purpose in life that will fill you with pleasure. Speak loving words of comfort, sing sweet songs of joy. Thank God for His marvelous gift of grace.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15

Macy 6 months: The Happiest Baby on the Block

November was a big month for our Macy girl. There is something magical about a 6 month old infant. They seem to be more content and aware of their surroundings, and their parents are finally settling in to the groove of having another child/baby/schedule to maintain. The work and fun balance starts to even out, and everybody takes a deep breath. 

It seems that I won't be taking a deep breath for long, though, because our little girl is quite the scooter. I'm not quite sure I want to call it crawling yet, because the idea of 3 mobile children scares me a bit!

 But Macy definitely does not stay where she is put anymore!

She's up on all fours frequently... thank goodness she hasn't yet coordinated her hands and feet! 

I love to watch this baby sleep! And speaking of sleep... in a matter of 2 nights, she went from waking up 2-3 times, to sleeping 10-11 hours straight. She had to cry it out a little, but she was definitely our easiest cry-it-out-er. I think Mike and I feel like completely different people!

She's also started some solid foods! She's a big fan of oatmeal, but anything with flavor gets this face. So far she's had oatmeal, rice, green beans, peas, squash, and sweet potatoes. Carrots are next and then maybe some fruit. This is not my favorite stage of feeding babies, but it does lead in to the finger foods stage which is so much easier. As of this week I've stopped nursing her, so I guess it's time to transition to more solids!

One night I was prepping her bed time bottle, and I found her already asleep on the floor. Right thumb in her mouth. She loves that right thumb! I love how easy she is. Her temperament is just delightful. She's just full of smiles for anyone that happens to look her direction. She pretty much melts me ;)

She definitely has the muscle coordination and strength to sit on her own, but this isn't the trick she's working on. She'd rather be moving :/

So far no teeth, but she will gum anything that comes remotely near her mouth. She drools a ton, too. I don't see any swollen gums yet, but I know she'll get teeth at some point! I'm not worried about it. Owen and Amelia each had 1 tooth at 1 year.

She also loves to study faces- especially her daddy! She looks at him, studies for a minute and then breaks in to a huge smile!

Macy had her 6 month check up today, and here are her stats:
15lb 8 oz (25-50%)
25 3/4 inches (50%)
Head: 16 1/4 inches (25%)

We are head over heels for this little Macy girl!