Classic Ryan

Our Ryan is so much fun.  And he is so silly. In this picture, he is making a face that we see often - anytime he dances, sings, or is generally in a crazy mood, he loves to do this funny face.  It always makes me laugh!

He and Sophie are such great little friends.  They love each other so much!  Sadly, the older they get, the more they fight - but thankfully, they always default back to becoming the best buds that they are.

Fall

Happy Fall! Since we do not really have a backyard, we brought a rake over to the park a couple of weeks ago so that our children could jump into a pile of leaves. I love how they each enjoyed the leaves in their own way - of course Baby Will had to taste the leaves; Sophie relished the experience of the leaves falling around her; Emmy examined their individual beauty; and Ryan left the leaves for a bigger thrill.

Happy Halloween from Peter Pan and friends!

In the bag

Today I pulled a bag off of a hook in my bedroom that I have not moved in 7 months.  The last day that I used this bag was March 10 - the day I went into labor with baby Will.  That night, I pulled out my new bag - a sweet gift given to me by my best girlfriends here in Palo Alto - and I packed it with little baby blue treasures and new mommy essentials.

It was fun to see what remnants I'd left behind in the old bag: a church program from that Sunday, a protein bar to stave off hunger pains, several of my favorite mints (I suffered from a bad taste in my mouth through much of my pregnancy), chap stick, an IKEA receipt (evidence of our last nesting project), a note from my Dr. giving me permission to fly across the US when I was 36 weeks pregnant, and a business card for an acupuncture therapist (I thought I might go late and was considering acupuncture as a possibility for inducing labor).

Now my bag has diapers, wipes, binkies, and lots of little odds and ends that baby Will likes to suck on: a toothbrush, a bell, a big fat rubber band, a ribbon, and a string of beads.

In Sophie's Kindergarten class, her teacher starts off each day by playing the guitar and singing a song.  Ryan and I always stay to listen to the song.  A couple of weeks ago, the song was "I'm Changing."  The chorus says, "I'm changing . . . a little bit every day."  As I sang along, it hit me that I'm changing too - just like those Kindergartners.  Four kids has been a joyful but TOUGH transition!  I often feel I am running uphill, grasping at my last shreds of patience, and trying to keep all of my ducks in a row.  I take comfort, though, that hopefully all of these little challenges are changing me for the good -- a little bit every day.

The Katie I was 7 months ago was full of anticipation and excitement (and thankfully, a healthy sense of the reality of how hard it would be) for this new chapter.  And now I'm in the thick of it - and it is HARD.  But I'm glad to be here.

Moments

Music lessons start early in the Steiger house

These two are a kick!

Just an ordinary afternoon, Ryan sampling Will's babyfood

Just bein' cute

This marks the first time in my 8 years of being a mom, that a child has fallen asleep while being read to - what a poor sleep-deprived little sweetheart  of a 3 year old

Six months

Dear Will,

I can hardly believe it has been half a year already.  It is hard to remember what life was like before you joined our family.  You have brought so much happiness to each one of us. 

From Day One of your life, we have been struck by your calm and peaceful nature.  You slept so well and soundly in the hospital.  The nurses all warned me that this is how all newborns are during the first day or two of their lives, but even when you were slightly jaundiced and they had to wrap you in a “Billi-blanket” – you hardly seemed bothered at all.  When we brought you home from the hospital, I kept waiting for you to be fitful or fussy, but you never did.  You still woke up often to eat, but during the in-between times, you would be content in your swing or lying on the ground for long stretches of time.   Your natural state seemed to be relaxed and calm.

I will never forget the first moment I saw you.  I was so overcome by the pains of childbirth, that I forgot to think about the end result.  And when your warm and slippery self was handed to me, I felt almost surprised to see you.  It was love at first sight and I was instantly overjoyed.  You looked so absolutely adorable to me.  Two of the first things I said were, “He’s perfect!” and “I’m so happy.”  That about sums up my life with you so far. 

I truly enjoyed my one-on-one time with you in the hospital.  I loved holding you close and staring at your perfect little head, staring eyes, tiny cleft chin, and curved lips.  I was thrilled to see a hint of red hair.  

I loved to lay next to you and listen to you sleep.  With each exhaled breath, you let out a little tiny sigh. In fact, I have loved having you sleep next to me.  You are still in a bassinet next to my bed, even though your head is now touching the top and your toes are touching the bottom.  I love to hear you wake up and I love that the first thing I do is peer over to see you stretch, yawn, and smile.  Soon, you will have to move to the bigger crib in the nursery.  And I will miss you.

Life is busy with four kids, and so I have made it a point to create memories with you.  In the morning when you wake up, if no one else is up yet, I’ll lay you next to me in bed and listen to your cute little voice babble ‘good morning.’  On one recent night, I fed you, swaddled you, and laid you next to me on my bed.  We laid there together, almost nose-to-nose, as you slowly drifted off to sleep.  Your eyelids would flutter closed, then open.  You’d smile at me, then drift away again.  It was delicious. 

What a happy baby you are.  Two times you have laughed yourself to sleep.  I’ve swaddled you, held you close, and you’ve looked up at me and laughed off and on until you finally give in to sleep.  You really are always ready with a little giggle and it is music to our ears. 

Emmy loves to hold you and to make you happy.  She sits by you in the car and helps you out with toys, blankets, and binkies.  She is old enough to carry you around from time to time.  She loves to snuggle with you and often is the first to come in and say hi to you in the mornings or the last to give you a goodnight kiss, or two, or three before bed.  Even Ryan, who is only 3, is tender with you.  When you  smile at him, he says it means you like him.  One time you accidentally scratched him and then smiled at him.  When you smiled, he said, “Mommy, his smile means he is sorry.”  He will often sit and show you toys and he looks forward to a time when the two of you can play baseball together. 

Daddy broke his arm when you were a little over three months old.  This has been sad for him because he cannot hold you very well.  It has now been almost three months since he has even changed a diaper!  When he had his cast on, he said the first thing he would want to do is to hold you, his sweet baby boy. 

If I could freeze time right now, I would.  You’re on the cusp – almost in a big crib, almost ready to eat solid foods, almost sprouting teeth, almost ready to sit up and then start cruising around.  All, so exciting.  But like I said, I know how babies grow – too fast.  And so I’ll just keep holding you close and smooching on you, and feeling your soft skin, and smelling your sweet breath, and I’ll try not to blink my eyes for fear that all of a sudden my baby will be all grown up.  But here’s the thing: when that happens, I’ll love you even more than I do now, which seems pretty hard to imagine.  But that is the amazing thing about love – it just keeps growing right along with you. 

Here’s to love, and here's to YOU!

Love,

Me

Fly on a wall

If you were a fly on the wall at my house, these are the things you might hear:

Ryan in prayer: "Bless us to be healthy and strong . . . long pause . . . like Superman"

Ryan, scrunching his neck and lowering his head as low as he can, : "Look, I have a little neck.  Like Will!"

Sophie's thoughts on the book "Extra Yarn" : "I love that story.  The girl never runs out of yarn.  Just like you can never run out of love!"

Ryan, who likes to rest his head on his blanket and sleep in the car, discovers his blanket is not in the car: "I'll just sleep with my head."

Sophie: "What are we going to do today?" repeat 10 times.

Sophie, saying emphatically to Emmy who was bothering Ryan: "Stop saying that to my friend, Ryan!!"

Sophie, eating vanilla ice cream: "Can I put an Oreo in my ice cream?  This ice cream needs more taste!"

Emmy is Eight

I can't believe I have an 8 year old!  Last Saturday, Emmy chose to be baptized.  It was a wonderful and happy day.  Her eyes had a special sparkle and she was all smiles.  I can't tell you how much I love this girl.

Verbena

After taking a little summer break from my blog, you'd think I'd devote this post to a recap on fun summer memories.  And maybe I'll do that sometime later.

But what I'd really like to write about is how much I love the movie "The Parent Trap."  The old one  . . . starring Hayley Mills. A few weeks ago, Emmy and I watched this movie together and had the most wonderful time!

Although I love the whole cast in this movie, tonight I am thinking about Verbena.  What a name.  I mean, really . . . have you ever known another "Verbena"?  She is one of a kind.  She is strong, she is funny, she is sassy, and she is smart.

Maybe it is because I have 4 children and my life feels very crazy, loud, and messy, but I find myself constantly wishing that I had my own Verbena around, helping me cook and clean and loving my kids as her own.  She would probably know before I would if my kids were up to something.  Plus, I would be constantly entertained as she refused to say a single word about various scandalous subjects.  Yes, since watching Parent Trap, I have rediscovered the best thing to say when you really shouldn't say anything:"I'm not saying a word. Not one single word."

3 Years Old!

Oh how we love our Ryan boy!  He is the most enthusiastic and eager little boy and he has brought our family so much joy!  For his birthday he requested chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate ice cream.  He proudly ate 3 pancakes for breakfast.  His favorite gifts were his own Giants hat and Giants baseball outfit.  He got to stay up until 10:30 playing Legos with Uncle Stephen. He was full of hugs and kisses for everyone.  It has been a happy day from the moment he woke up until the moment he went to bed snuggled up with the new quilt Ashley made for him.

Chocolate yumminess

Jumping extra high in his new clothes

Playing with Stephen's Lego train

Summer Reading

Recently, I polled friends and family for good book suggestions for my almost-eight-year old.  For about two days, the emails and Facebook comments poured in and it was sooo much fun to learn what books have touched my friends.  I put everything together in one big list and am posting it here, for the enjoyment of all.

In no particular order:

B is for Betsy
Boxcar Children

The Babysitter's Club

Shiloh

Stuart Little

Little House on the Prairie Series

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Magic Treehouse

American Girl books

Chronicles of Narnia

Canadian Flyers

Dear Canada

Geronimo Stilton

Anne of Green Gables

Rainbow Valley

Caddie Woodlawn

Princess Academy

Goose Girl

Charlotte's Web

Tale of Despereaux

Edward Tulane

Betty G. Birney with the Humphrey the Hamster series

The one and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

City of Ember series

Mysterious Benedict Society

Sisters Grimm books by Michael Buckley

Emily Windsnap books by Liz Kessler

Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordanc

Kingdom Keeper series

My Weird School books

A-Z Mysteries by Ron Roy

The Capital Mysteries by Ron Roy

Small Step the Year I got Polio

11 Birthdays

Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

The Hundred Dresses

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Wayside School series

The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Black Beauty

Misty of Chincoteague

Nancy Drew series

Ramona Quimby

The Indian in the Cupboard

A Wrinkle in Time

The Ordinary Princess

Harriet the Spy

The Secret Garden

Pippi Longstocking

The Wind in the Willows

Amelia Bedelia series

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

Bobbsey Twins

Geronimo Stilton series

Judy Moody and Stink books

Clementine series

Susan Jeffers’ Snow White, Cinderella, The Swans

Jill Krementz's "A very young" series (Dancer, skater, actress, rider, gymnast)

Hatchet

Phantom Tollbooth

Secret Garden

Secret of Nimh

Encyclopedia Brown

The Borrowers

No Kiss for Mother

The 13 Clocks

Seabird

Rikkii Tikki Tavi

Island of the Aunts

Old Mother Westwind

Betsy Tacy
Johnny Tremain
Helen Keller
Happy Hollisters (author West)

Authors:

Carol Ririe Brink

Lois Lenski

Thorton W. Burgess

Margerite Henry

Roald Dahl

Beverly Cleary

Judy Blume

Susan Cooper

More Baby Will

Will is sporting a sweet outfit that my brother Adam wore back in the day

Can't kiss this boy enough

Ryan was thrilled to have matching shorts with his baby brother

2 Months Old

Growing sooo fast!

I feel like the luckiest momma ever!

the sweetest

"Every baby is the sweetest and the best" (spoken by Marilla in Anne of Green Gables).  That is certainly how we are feeling about our little baby Will - who - can you believe it? - is already 1 month old!

Happy Easter!

the best Easter basket treat ever

Feeling Sentimental

A truly magical moment in my life

Two weeks ago I was in the early stages of labor. I was feeling pretty sure that the baby was coming. I was surprised, because all of my babies have been late, and this one was earlier than I was expecting. (Technically he was 3 days early, but given my history, he seemed at least a week early). This is what I wrote in my journal on the eve of Will's birth: "I may not be pregnant for much longer, but while I am, I just want to remember how it feels - this feeling of life within. That I am carrying a child of God. So much potential and hope. I love the feeling of my round belly - this bulge that is waiting to pop. I love to have my children feel my tummy and to see the wonder they feel as they trace his movements. Pregnancy is hard, but I love it. I feel that the coming birth of my child will help me feel closer to God." Hours after I wrote that, we headed to the hospital, and 12 really hard hours later, he was born. And then 2 days later, I was home again. I found myself not pregnant anymore, with a new baby at home. It was a whirlwind that happened long before I thought it would. And as happy as I was, I found myself missing my moving and shifting tummy. And even now, I can't believe it is all over!

During early labor, the kids entertained themselves by painting my belly

Hi, My Name is Will

William James Steiger

nice to meet you

Little Bear

Born March 11, 2013 at 3:35 pm 8 pounds 21 inches We adore this boy! The verdict is still out on his name . . . stay tuned!

Beginnings

This poem was read in church today and struck a chord with me.

Beginnings
Carol Lynn Pearson

Today
You came running
With a small specked egg
Warm in your hand.
You could barely understand,
I know,
As I told you of Beginnings– 
Of egg and bird.

Told, too,
That years ago you began,
Smaller than sight.
And then,
As egg yearns for sky
And seed stretches to tree,
You became– 
Like me.

Oh, 
But there’s so much more.
You and I, child,
Have just begun.

Think:
Worlds from now
What might we be?– 
We, who are seed
Of Deity.

9 months

The most fun part about being pregnant this time around is to share in the joy and anticipation with Emmy, Sophie, and Ryan. They are very excited to meet "Little Bear" (this nickname has been used so much that I wonder if we'll be able to call him anything else after he is born!)