10 Reasons why I should hold Molly

A little over a year ago, Jillian wrote me this list of reasons why she should hold Molly. I loved it and have kept it up on the fridge for that long as a sweet reminder. Having a large family can be hard...but so worth the hard work.

10 Reasons Why I Should Hold Molly

1- I need to practice being a beter mom.
2- So you can talk to Peter
3- What I have babys I need to know how to take care of them.
4- So you can help make dinner.
5- So you can talk to your friends.
6- So you can anser the door.
7- So you can help Lucy and Peter get ready for Gabby's baptism. (Apparently that's what we were doing later that day.
8- So you can pay atenten to the other children beter.
9- So you can talk and help dad.
10- I want to hold Molly becuse I love her and she's cute and fun to play with.

Father's Day Tribute

We love Dad because...
He reads stories to me. Lucy
He helps me swim. Lucy
He chooses good movies on Fridays. Peter
He helped me to build our Lego sets. Peter
He cheers for me at swim meets. Peter
He says I am beautiful. Molly
He helped me build the tree house. Peter
He initiates potty training. Mom
He puts me to bed. Molly
He sang me to sleep. Jillian
He helps with piano. Jillian
He is handsome. Lucy
He taught me how to dance. Jillian
He praises and encourages his kids often. Mom
He teaches me French. Jillian
He cheered for me at basketball. Jillian
He helped me when I had pink eye. Peter
We like to bike together. Jillian
He is kind. Mom
He makes dinner and does dishes. Mom
He taught me to ride a two wheeler when I was four. Lucy

I have to record how much Molly loves her big kids. She giggles and giggles when they come close and can't get enough of their jokes, or the things they do to make her laugh. She will crawl up my shoulder in anticipation and excitement when she thinks they are coming to get her. And her favorite place to get a zerbert is her neck. What a fun, fun friend we have in Molly Joy!

On the growth chart!

When you have several kids who usually aren't on the growth chart, it's pretty exciting when you have one who is and you need to document it! Part of me wonders if I have just learned to be more patient (and tricky) at feeding her baby food. We've also had lots of time to just cuddle and let her eat during the freezing cold winter we've had. Whatever the reason, she's been about the 50th percentile. At birth, she was 7 lbs 12 oz. Now she's probably 16 pounds and has three months until she turns one. (Today is her 9 month birthday!) Here are some more of her stats:
9/25 - she got down to 6 lbs. 15 oz.
10/4 - she got back up to 7 lbs. 10 oz.
11/25 - 10 lbs. 12 oz.
1/13 - 12 lbs. 9 oz.
3/3 - 13 lbs. 15 oz.

Molly grows

Today was Molly's last well-child check in Iowa. We have loved Dr. Christensen! Molly is now 15 pounds and 10 ounces and 2 feet and 2 1/2 inches, or 26.5 inches. She has started babbling, saying Dada really loudly, especially when we're in a quiet church meeting:) She still refuses a paci but loves to chew on anything. She hasn't really rolled over a ton, though she has done it. If you put her on the floor she'll reach and squirm until she gets the toys that are within a radius of a couple of feet from her. She can also do a complete 360 on her little bum. It's funny to watch.

Finally, a blog for our Molly! We love her so! I can't wait to record how she grows and in what ways she blesses our family. There is such a special feeling in the room whenever she is around! I'm officially beginning this blog about her when she is almost six months old, on March 18th. I just realized she'll be six months tomorrow! I think I might cry! It's gone to quickly! Life with four little ones is busy, but I have been tucking many sweet things about Molly aside in my mind to share here and for her when she gets older. What comes to my mind now, as she is laying on the floor beside me as I type and grinning a wide grin, is that she has come to earth with a very calm and patient demeanor. When she was first born and for months afterwards, she would wake up in the night and calmly wait, smacking her lips, for hours it seemed because her swaddling blanket would be absolutely soaked!, until one of us heard her and got up to attend to her. She has been this way with her attentive siblings. She puts up with no end of "love," and love it is indeed, just a little rough sometimes, and always rewards the giver with many smiles. She has just started to eat solids and while other babies will scream for the next bite, she waits while I take a few bites of my own food, and then happily returns to eating when I'm ready. I can often explain what I'm doing to her if she begins to fuss and I can't get her yet, and I swear she understands because she'll stop fussing and wait! Sometimes I look into her eyes and know she and I are old friends, just becoming reacquianted. How grateful for her truly joyful spirit in our home. We all love her wildly! Even now, at six months, boo hoo!, there are many discussions a day regarding who gets to hold her first...when she wakes, after she eats, after her diaper change, in church, when we get home from school. It's a wonderful thing to have a baby sister to fight over.

Tonight I set Molly down on her belly while I changed the laundry. She pushed up high on her arms and tip, tip, tipped right over onto her back! I haven't been great about tummy time with her because, with her easy going nature, before she would just lay there, head down and the expression on her face as if to ask "Really, Mom, really?" But I guess she has been ready to move a little more! She's rolled several times since and the big kids all get a great kick out of her new trick.