August is here!

The beginning of August brought a Ninja Turtle party for the child of one of Bryant's co-workers :)

Connor turned one month old and weighs over 10 lbs! He is a great eater and a great baby! Connor is my easiest baby thus far. He goes to bed around 10 pm each night and sleeps until sometimes between 3:30 and 4:30 and then goes right back to sleep until the morning! It has been amazing. He also naps really well in his bed, often sleeping at the same time as Gunnar in the afternoons. He is beginning to spend more time awake and is generally happy during those times. His fussy time seems to coincide with making dinner so we have been eating a little later around here as it takes a little longer to get the meal prepared with a baby in my arms. Connor is truly loved by all of his siblings, although Brylee still tells me that she wants a little sister next!

Tucker is such a great reader! It is super helpful! While the children were at their friend's house while Bryant and I were sailing, they were introduced to "Where the Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein. Tucker was telling me about how they read a bunch of short silly stories and what some of them were and I was able to figure out what he was talking about. Well my sister Michelle passed the three poem volumes down to me a little while back and I had been trying to figure out the best way to introduce them to my children. This was the perfect moment. I got the book down for Tucker and he read a bunch of them to everyone while I worked on lunch :) I love seeing all of my children crowded around a good book

My sister also gave us these big bubble wands and tray. It made a fun activity for the children outside this past week. They thought that all of them were really cool.

Gunnar is finally able to blow bubbles because the ring is so big that he doesn't put it on his mouth when blowing! He was so proud of himself!

Connor had lots of fun hanging out in the shade as well.

This is the best "smile" I have been able to capture thus far. He loves to have someone moving his legs so he is "running" but I can't get a picture of his cute face and make him run at the same time. 

Here is a close up taken by Tucker  :)

This is a sweet video of some of the interaction Connor gets with his siblings.

Oh and this reminds me. Connor is the first child not intentionally attacked by his older siblings. Hunter attempted to kill Brylee twice: once by pulling the blanket she was laying on on the couch off the couch with her on it and another time by trying to sit on her face. Brylee attempted to kill Gunnar at least once as well when he was first born. No one has meant to hurt Connor but giving him tummy time can be a very dangerous task with four older rambunctious siblings! Even with my watchful care and sitting right next to him, Connor has had his hand stepped on and someone else tripped and almost smashed his face. The children have gotten better at keeping a watchful eye out for Connor and I have rearranged the furniture so that there is a little more floor space for him to have but I still feel he is safest when he is in his bed :) With school starting in another week, there will be a few less feet running around, which hopefully makes life on the ground safer.

Despite these "set-backs" Connor has rolled over three times from his front to his back, once right after I put him on his tummy one day, and then twice yesterday. He not so willingly performed it a second time for me so I could capture it on camera :)