These Two // On the Passing of Time

I found this picture in my blog archive the other day... it was a post I never wrote. And it made my heart do little flips and feel a bit heavy. Because, honestly? This feels like yesterday. Only its not... because the toddler and the baby in that photo are now a schoolgirl and a toddler, and are swiftly growing up far too quickly for my liking!

I've been feeling it a lot lately - the passing of time -

This Little Nose-Blower // The Not Comparing Game

I think comparison comes instinctively to all of us, doesn't it? We compare our homes, our parenting styles, our achievements and our children's progress. It's not a particularly becoming addiction, but addictive it does seem to be... I can't seem to help myself, and though I try to stop that little comparative thought popping into my head every time someone tells me something, that unattractive sense of inferiority or superiority seems to be beyond my capacity to control.

And then when you have multiple children, the focus can turn inwards... suddenly you're questioning every milestone "could Ava do this by this stage?", "Heidi was always good at this", "Ava was definitely the first one to..." and I find myself doing it again.

And so, I think this little man of ours was God's gift to us to teach me some precious lessons.

He doesn't believe in rushing through life... he's not in competition with anyone... he's just taking things in his stride and teaching his Mama there's no urgency, no race to the finish line, nothing to win. Just enjoy each little phase as it comes.

At 16 months (in 2 days!), he's not walking yet. He's taken a few tentative steps when he's in the mood, but he's quite contented to scale the sofas, piano, window sill - you name it - on all fours. Why bother walking when you can get everywhere you want to without?! Our Jonas boy is happiest when cruising, crawling and climbing and though the girls were long walking by now, he's teaching us to take it all in our stride. Milestones? He'll get there. When he's good and ready.

And then there's the talking thing. At sixteen months, the girls were starting to string sentences together, they had large vocabularies in all three languages (german, english and norwegian) and though they occasionally mixed the languages, were already pretty trilingual by this stage. Jonas? Well he has a grand total of 6 words...

- Mama ( makes up 90% of his language)
- Danke (when he's feeling polite)
- Na-na (Banana - but also used for any type of food!)
- Ba- (ball)
- A - mmm (Amen)
- A-ya (Ava)

No rush. As I said.

But then, there is one thing this boy of ours can do, that I had to teach the girls around the age of 3 (and even now, Heidi hasn't completely mastered it!)

He can get himself a tissue, blow his nose properly, and wipe it away. He then crawls off to put his tissue in the bin. (His Father's son!)

See? Each to their own. We can't all be good at everything now, can we?!

Dear Jonas... You're One! // Letters to my Littles

Oh my Jo-Jo...

How are we here already? One year down the line?! That little chubby bundle of joy that burst into our lives this time last year... That shock of blue after a world of pink is now so much part of us, of who we are as a family, that we really can't remember or comprehend life without you.

You are so very adored by all of us!

Our little explorer... Ever investigating, ever peering and searching and chewing on anything you can get your hands on. You will always beeline for the one thing I really don't want you to go for, and this week alone, I've had to clear tissues, soil and a plastic chocolate wrapper from your mouth. Everything is there to be explored, and I love watching you investigating... Scrunching your little nose up in the way that only you do. So full of expression. Our little bundle of joy.

That little white blond head stands in contrast to the golden locks of your sisters. and I often see it dart past me as you speed around the room on your knees. You are so fast at crawling now, and this week pulled yourself to standing for the first time. You are SO laid back, and are in no rush to speed through the milestones, and neither of us are in any rush to push you forwards... You are a third child after all, and we're both happy to keep you in the baby zone as long as possible!

You are truly a delight to be Mama to. Happy and chirpy and chatty and just so chilled out. This past week, you have become a bit more of a Mama's boy, and that clinginess is definitely hitting. But after two children have gone before, I know it's a passing phase, and perfectly typical for a one year old, and really, all I need to do is savour all the extra cuddles and enjoy the fact that you'd just love to be permanently attached to my hip at the moment!

It's hard to believe that when I write this letter next year, you'll most probably be walking and talking and showing signs of mischief and naughtiness. For now, you still feel very much like our baby, with your cute little teeth and your four words (Mama, Papa, Ba (ball) and A-ya (Ava)... We are going to soak up all these little moments

Honestly, Jonas? I felt a little bit daunted by the prospect of a son... After three years of girliness, suddenly having a boy to look after felt like a new challenge, one that I had no idea about! But you have made mothering a boy so easy, and truly are such a delight to each of us that I am loving being Mama every bit as much and feel so thankful to God for the honour of raising this little sunny personality!

My prayer for you, my darling boy, is that you will grow up to be a strong man of God, with firm convictions and true compassion for others. You are growing up in a broken world, a world that needs the goodness of the gospel, and I'm praying that you will have the courage and strength to share Jesus with others with gentleness and respect.

You are a gentle soul... A gentle soul that we love so very,  very much!

Happy first birthday our Jonas boy... We love you!

Mama and Papa xx

A Barnyard Birthday // Celebrating One Year!

Since becoming a Mama four years ago, I realised last night I have thrown seven birthday parties... but this weekend, I got to throw my very first boy party! 

Our little Jo-Jo had a barnyard birthday... and oh! Such a fun theme! I need no excuse to have some fun with a little theme, and the farm was such an easy, fun one to do! The joy of one-year-olds is that they have no "special requests", no random, difficult suggestions ... instead we just went for something fun, colourful and full of creative possibility.

And our little man had a lovely time!

Surrounded by his little friends, and our family, we celebrated one year with our little bundle of fun!

And three generations of men sat and chatted on the swinging seat, while the party got underway!

After a morning of setting up, the threat of rain, and some serious prayer that it would stay away... the dark clouds shifted and we had an afternoon of farm-filled fun in the sunshine!

So here's how we celebrated our Jonas boy in style!

The Grub
A farmyard feast fit for a King, with a little help from Pinterest! Here's what was on the menu...
* Pigs in Blankets (Sausage Rolls) - so much quicker and easier than dozens of sandwiches!
* Chicken Feed (Crisps)
* Fresh Farm Produce (Tomatoes, Carrot Sticks, Cucumber Sticks and Raisins served with humous)
* Tractor Wheels (Jammy Dodgers)
* Barnyard Cake

The Barnyard cake was a simple two tiered Victoria Sponge. I used ready made red Regal Icing to decorate the top tier and created a little barn, and iced the bottom tier with green butter icing. After a rendition of "Happy Birthday," Jonas enjoyed his first taste of cake! There'll be no going back now!

The cake was a hit with his sisters too!

 The Activities
So much fun to be had! I spent Thursday morning drawing a big map of my parents garden and had a blast coming up with lots of different ideas for the different areas...

The main garden area was the "Horse Paddock", with slides, tunnels, stepping stones, rocking horses and hobby horses! A little "adventure playground" fit for exploring.

Behind the "Horse Paddock" was the duck pond! A great deal of fun was had fishing out rubber ducks with the little fishing nets!

Further along was the petting zoo... We made some sensory trays with farm animals galore and plenty of textures and tastes for little hands to explore...

This area was a particular success with the babies...

... and with big sisters too!

Towards the back of the garden, we created a "Barnyard Books" area. I had sourced every farmyard themed book I could get my hands on. A little story corner for a bit of quiet respite!

And of course, no party would be complete with a creative outlet... our "Making Meadow" was a flurry of farmyard sticker activity!

And our little man had a lovely time. He crawled around the garden, exploring all the different activities, utterly clueless that the whole event was in aid of him, but having a blast nonetheless!

Our little Jonas! We hope your enjoyed your Barnyard Birthday!

Now only three more days until you really are one! oh my baby boy... don't go growing up too quickly!

Goodbye Baby!

Oh, how much a year can change things. I remember it all so vividly... The waiting game. The frustration, anticipation, excitement... Wondering when our little bundle was finally going to make an appearance. I was 5 days late by now, and the comments had already started...

"Oh! Still here?"

Yup. Very much so. And wishing, wishing this baby would get a move on...

Little Jonas... He's never been one to be in a hurry!

This boy of ours... So laid back, he's practically horizontal. He hasn't rushed through the milestones, but has taken his time, methodically working through every milestone in the right order, and lagging behind his sister's by about 2 months... Teeth, sitting, crawling, first words.

And right when I wonder if he'll ever get there, he's pulled the next trick out of the bag.

"Don't fret, Mama. I'll do it... Just let me get there when I'm good and ready"

He is such a joy, this boy. Adored by us all, and such a happy, chirpy little fellow, and I really can't believe that we're just round the corner from one whole year old.

One. Whole. Year. Old.

Oh my Jonas... You would not believe how GRATEFUL I am that you are taking your time... I am soaking and savouring each little phase with every ounce of mothering pride I can muster. My baby... Only a baby for a few more short days... 

Don't go growing up too quickly!

Baby Tales // 11 months!

Oh my JoJo... How time flies! I cannot believe that the next milestone letter I will be writing you will be for your first birthday!! These baby days fly past far too quickly. You are my bright, cheery, chirpy little man, and with each day that reveals a little bit more of your character and personality, I love you more and more.

Right now, you are battling a hideous cold that has knocked you for six. After a long run of illnesses (see your ten month letter) this month has been a welcome respite, and yet a few days ago another bug hit. It hasn't been fun to watch you cough hideously, or just generally not be your usual, bubbly self, and I can't wait until the day you are back to your old self. I always say the first couple of winters are the toughest, and the changing seasons always seem to invite a host of new bugs to do the rounds.

This month you have started to crawl and are now into absolutely everything! After threatening to crawl for so long (I think you were somewhat delayed by your illnesses...) you just decided to do it one day, and that was it. No looking back. I've had to do a quick sweep of the home to ensure its all baby proof, and I think we're pretty much there now.

These next few months with builders and brick dust are going to be fun! (Not!)

Another milestone this month has been that you now have your top two teeth as well as your bottom two, meaning you now have four teeth in total, and suddenly look so much less like a baby, and much more like a little boy. You're thinning out, losing some of your chubbiness as you become more active, sitting and standing much more upright, growing more of that white-blonde hair and I'm beginning to get little glimpses of the boy you're growing into...

And oh how I love that little boy already!

Jonas, you are a joy and a delight to all of us, we cannot imagine life without you, and we thank God every day for the precious gift that you are to us.

We love you Jonas boy!

Mama and Papa xx

In the Wars...

This little man is so desperate to crawl! He's making his way around the room, rolling and reaching, stretching and shuffling, but has yet to actually move those little arms and knees together in one united movement. This Bubba is just seriously chilled out and not fussed at all about rushing through the milestones! The joy of having two big sisters at your beck and call!

But this week, he's been hitting some new milestones... Sitting himself up in bed, and pulling himself up to standing, and he's been paying for it! Poor boy has been in the wars... Falling across things, out of things, bumping his head and getting stuck. It's just that age, isn't it?! When everything just seems to be at the wrong height....

An age of exploration, of daring and of risk... And I'm quickly realising I need another pair of eyes in the back of my head if I want to have any chance of keeping this little explorer out of trouble! If only it were that simple!!

At ten months old, he's certainly keeping me on my toes!

Baby Tales {Ten Months}

Hey little buddy!

Ten months! How did that happen?! It seems to have flown by, and yet you are so far removed from that helpless little newborn... You are gearing up to be on the move now... So sturdy on your legs, standing at windows and manoeuvring from one end of the room to another... You aren't crawling yet, so I'm not entirely sure how you're doing it, but it's basically some kind of reach and bum shuffle manoeuvre!

This month has been a tough one for you, as you've battled one health problem after another. Nothing major, just the little challenges of a first winter/spring transition. These past few days you've been suffering from tonsillitis. My usually chirpy, happy, contented little boy has been clingy and sad. You were rocking a temperature for a few days last week, and then, lo and behold, on Thursday, a little white tooth appeared! Your very first! You certainly seem to take everything in your stride and seem to be in no great hurry to hit those milestones!

This month has also seen you become more aware of the important people in your life... You are starting to get shy around people you don't know, and are happiest when amongst the company of our little family of five. You find Ava and Heidi utterly hilarious and are SUCH a Daddy's boy. When Papa drives up to the window on his motorbike, I genuinely think it's one of the most thrilling parts of your day! You sit and beam at him, waving and waving and waving and not stopping until he's waved back! You don't ever seem to show a preference for me... However upset you are, as long as Mama or Papa are around, it will all be OK!

You are such a delight and joy to us little Jonas, and having you out of sorts these past few days has only made me all the more grateful for your generally happy nature. You are my little jolly boy and at this stage make motherhood nothing other than enjoyable. Of course, I'm more than aware that in these next couple of months you'll be making that transition to toddlerhood and it'll quite probably all go up the creek, so I'm going to savour these last couple of months of babyhood for all they're worth - your laid back nature, amenable character and constant smile!

We love you SO SO VERY much Jonas boy!

From your Mama xxx

Favourite Toys: building blocks, your ball, Happyland people, Mama's Tupperware.

Favourite Games: Peekaboo, dropping things on the floor, blowing raspberries, high five.

Words: Mamamamama, Pa-pa, rah (lion), and we think you said "A-ya" for Ava yesterday...

Actions: Waving, clapping, high fives

Milestones: A tooth! Bum shuffling, attempting to crawl. Standing at a ledge on your own.

Baby Tales {Nine Months}

Three-quarters of a year! How did that happen little man? You are such a joy to have around - easy-going, smiley, chirpy and chatty and you really only cry when there is really something wrong. You are an absolute delight to have around and I'm just enjoying being your Mama so very, very much.

Yesterday, you made your first animal noise! You have a book with a picture of a lion on the front, and for the past few weeks, every time you have reached for it, I have said. "What does the lion say? RAAHHH" and yesterday, when I picked up your little book and asked my question, you growled back at me before I had a chance to roar! You looked so pleased with yourself, and when I asked you again, you repeated it back. You get it... its just so sweet to actually have a little call-response thing going with you now. It made my day yesterday!

You wave at eanyone and everyone... you have three different variations on the wave... a little hand twist, the usual finger wiggler, and then a full arm wave. All are hilarious, and I'm still trying to figure out if there's a pattern to which wave you pull out at which time. You wave at anyone you see though - random strangers included.... but your favourite person to wave to is that baby in the mirror. You and him seem to have some enthusiastic wave game going on.

You are a confident sitter now. Your favourite thing is to be parked up on the sheepskin rug, with a box full of toys right beside you. You can spend an hour just sitting there, pulling the toys out one after the other, and having a good old chew. This past week you have got frustrated when toys have rolled away out of your grasp, and instead of contentedly carrying on with the next toy, you've been grunting and groaning and reaching your little body across to reach them, and a couple of times have ended up in a crawling position (though have yet to actually do any crawling)... I suspect this might be the month for that malarkey, though I'm pretty keen for you to delay that development for another couple of months, if you fancy a little longer sitting contentedly and not budging an inch, that's fine by me!

You love books... you like to listen to a story, you like to turn pages and you like to eat them too. I have learnt the hard way, that if I want to read you a story, I need to give you a different board book in your hands to turn pages, flick about and chew, or else the pages are turned and grabbed at incredible speed and the story is lost. Heidi much prefers hearing the story, so handing you your own book has seemed like a good compromise!

You adore your sisters. They are, at times, a little rough with you - their enthusiastic affection is at times a little overwhelming. But you take it all in your stride, and are so unfazed by having those sisters in your face all the time! I'm sure I wouldn't be as gracious and patient as you are!

You eat everything... I've yet to find anything you don't like... and this month have discovered the joys of peanut butter on your toast. Well, there's no going back to plain old bread and butter now!

We love you Jonas boy... I honestly can't imagine life without you, and I love every minute I get to spend with you. You are an absolute delight, and I'm so grateful to God for the precious gift you are to us.

Bring on month number 10.... eek!

Ich habe dich so lieb mein JoJo

Mama xx

Baby Tales {Eight Months}

Oh my baby boy... how are you eight months already!!?

Eight months feels like you are heading towards one... heading towards that exit of babyhood, and I am just NOT ready for that!!

This month it has felt like we are really seeing you... your little personality and character is shining through...

... and oh! What a lovely, sunny, happy little personality it is!

This month you have started waving - you waggle that right arm up and down and up and down which the girls find hilarious. You giggle and chatter and smile all day long. I genuinely have never met such a happy, contented little baby. And after me bemoaning the fact in last months letter that you still weren't sitting at 7 months, you decided to show me up and began sitting the very next morning.

You are just laid back, and easy going and like to do things at your own speed.

This week has not been so easy for you, you've been battling conjunctivitis and have been waking up chatting and giggling, only for me to find you with your eyes totally glued together - yet you are totally unfazed! The other day we were running late for school pick up, and you were still asleep in your cot, so I grabbed you up quickly and slotted you into the buggy and started pushing, only then to notice you couldn't see! We were running late for Ava, but my Mama heart couldn't bear to see you smiling at me with your eyes glued closed, so we just made ourselves a little more late while I unstuck them with cooled boiled water.

You are just such a delightful little boy. And I love you. So very much. With all my heart.

From your Mama xxx