Still Trying to Be Clever

In the excitement of welcoming Topher, I failed to acknowledge another important birthday. This blog had its tenth birthday at the beginning of the month. I had no idea when I started writing it in May of 2008 that I'd still be adding to it in 2018.

I'm amazed at how much has changed in our family since then. We've added three children, moved eight times, lived in every time zone in the continental United States, earned another degree, made fantastic friends, and gained a myriad of experiences. This blog has been a wonderful way to record the big and little events in our lives. It has provided intellectual inspiration and a creative outlet. It's kept me from sleep but forced me to examine each day and look for what should be remembered. And because of that, so many little experiences that would have been lost are instead treasured memories.

Here's to ten years of trying to be clever!

Making Faces

The Reading Fashionista

Last week Phoebe's school hosted a career day. The kids were all invited to dress as what they want to be when they grow up. Phoebe was conflicted. She had trouble deciding between a teacher, a mom, and a fashion designer. She went as a teacher last year and finally chose to dress as a fashion designer this year. Bryan advised her to either dress all in black or wear something crazy.

She went for something in the middle.

Maybe she should have gone as a fashion designer/librarian since the only good picture I was able to get of her was while she was reading my Kindle Paperwhite. She's discovered the books of Rick Riordan and has been reading them nearly nonstop ever since.

The Picture Gallery

Have you noticed that most of my posts are pictures and, if I'm lucky, a few words? That's because I'm in a stage of motherhood that leaves me without the regular use of my hands, or at least the use of both hands at the same time. Topher eats often, and when he's not eating he's sleeping. When he's sleeping I have a choice to either sleep (which I try to do as often as possible), eat (which I try to do one-handed while he eats to save time), or shower (which is not a super high priority these days, because sleep).

Blogging comes after sleeping, eating, showering, and spending time with the other children. So expect several more posts of pictures until this little guy starts doing more than eating round the clock. And for the record, I'm totally okay with him eating all the time. I'm glad that he's eating and growing well and that I can help him with that.

Look! Daytime Clothes!

Also, this kid has seriously long arms and legs.

Dinosuars

Boys With Books

 Topher was a very unhappy boy until Peter started reading to him. The tears stopped quickly and another of our kids discovered the joy of reading.

Pretty Babies

A Giant Among Babies

Topher had his two-week checkup today, a few days early. Good news, he's growing well. He weighed 8lbs 11oz at birth and was 8lbs 3oz when we left the hospital. His doctor-imposed goal was to get back up to his birth weight by the time he was fourteen days old. As of today he weighs nine pounds.

At birth he was 20 inches long. He's now 22.5 inches long which puts him above the 99th percentile for height.

And his head circumference? Have no fear, he's following his siblings in the giant noggin department and is measuring at 39 cm, also above the 99th percentile.

It's nice to know that his round the clock nursing is paying off.

He Who Now Is Named

I'd like to introduce you to Christopher. 

Bryan really wants to call him Topher, so we're trying that out. 

His name ends in an er like his brothers, has a ph like his sisters, and a p like all his siblings. And it's Greek (like Peter and Phoebe) for bearer of Christ, which I think is a pretty awesome meaning. He is the only kid with more than two syllables in any name, which is why Topher is appealing to us. And he's the only kid to possibly go by a nickname. So he's following some of our rules while simultaneously breaking others.

His middle name is pretty special too, but since I don't use middle names on the blog, you'll just have to trust me. Or you can email or text me and I'll tell you what it is, I simply won't share it on social media.

We are really glad he has a name.