Rachel: 9 months

Height: 27 in (25%)

Weight: 15 lb 13.5 oz (5%)

Head: 44 cm (50%)

this is as pudgy as she gets

Teeth: zero! maybe a slight ridge, but nothing convincing. She still tries to gnaw on me though...
Hair: lots! it's a light brown with a bit of texture and curl, especially around her ears
Eyes: blue, though they are starting to have a green/brown tint in some lights? it seems late for them to be changing but it's possible
Birth mark: the inside of her belly button has a dark red birthmark. I spent the first month or so thinking it was a scab from the umbilical cord but I'm pretty sure it's just a regular birthmark

in a hand-smocked dress from Cousin Janet in England!

Likes: food! She nurses frequently, downs any solid as fast as you can spoon it in, and will squawk at you whenever she sees you holding something edible. She has great finger dexterity so she will pick up tiny specks but can't manage to gum much down yet. She loves to bang things together, especially pots from the toy kitchen. She loves to make sound, often picking up a plastic cup and singing into it and laughing at the echo. She LOVES her brother and sister and looks around expectantly whenever she hears them making sound in another room. I often have to find a quiet room and shut the door in order to nurse her because she is constantly looking for them. She still LOVES the water, whether it's a bath or a swimming pool, even if she's getting splashed in the face. She also likes to be snuggled up in a wrap so she can stay by me when I'm trying to get things done around the house

a typical Rachel pose

she LOVES faces!

Dislikes: waiting too long for things, not being able to see people she loves, getting stuck under furniture. Occasionally she freaks out about going to bed but most of the time our sweet, chill baby is still that--sweet, and chill. She will occupy herself for long stretches of time with basic toys and will follow me down the hall on her tummy if I walk away to get something. She is especially patient with her siblings, who still think she is the best toy ever and love to get right in her face.

New tricks: crawling. And by crawling, I mean this:

AWESOME. She started with baby pushups and graduated to serious planking. She often pauses on her hands and knees but continues to get mobile through fish flops and the animated worm. I hope she keeps it up! She has started giggling spontaneously when she finds something funny or makes a funny sound, though her giggle still sounds like a forced laugh and/or machine gun. She still sings and chatters all day long, and has added a new sound to her repertoire that Scotty aptly named the "Eagle Screech." She has also started signing "more", clapping, and waving.

Rachel 3-5 months :)

I like to post as least once a month. Just to keep from getting too behind and to keep in touch with family and friends who are far away.

And then the realities of three kids, a part time job, and Eric's busy season hit. Ha! I swear, if I didn't have to look decent for work everyday I would forget to shower. Have I mentioned that this job has been good for my mental health?

5 months: first time in a swing!

My newborn is no longer a newborn. When she was 3 months old I finally posted her two month stats.  I suppose it's now time for her four month stats and some updates on her new tricks.

4 months

Stats at four months (on 1/11/13)

Weight: 12 lb 4.5 oz (10%)
Height: 24.75" (50%)
Head: 40.75 cm (30%)

4 months: getting some snuggles

Based on her stats two months previously, she's still a lightweight, no longer tall for her age, and her head is growing at an alarming rate. Realistically, her weight is consistent because she flirts with the nurse while on the scale, her length fluctuates because she stretches out when she's excited, and her head measurement is a complete guess because she's fascinated by everything and successfully yanked the measuring tape out of the nurse's hand.

5 months: giving some sass

She started rolling back to front occasionally over Christmas break, just before four months, but didn't really get good at it until 4.5 months. At five months she suddenly flipped front to back after a bath and hasn't looked back since. She spends her time rolling back and forth and occasionally log rolling across the rug. She's a sneaky thing. I'll put her down on the floor somewhere, glance away to get something for another kid, and turn back to find her facing a different direction or in another place. Yet when I sit there and watch her, she doesn't seem to move very much!

3 months: tummy time

5 months: rolling and grabbing

Favorites

Things to look at: people. all people. Her whole lights up whenever a face appears in front of hers. Except for the first deep brunette she met, which apparently freaked her out about dark hair. Topping the list is Scotty and Alyssa, her two favorite people by a substantial margin. She also loves her Nani a lot.
Things to do: roll around, put everything in her mouth, make excited noises
Songs: the Rachel song, When I am Baptized (I like to look for rainbows) - she sings along every time!
Books: anything the bigger kids are looking at. Very tasty.
Places: anywhere outside, in someone's arms (or my wrap or sling)

5 months: in the wrap

Least Favorites

Things to look at: anything that's not moving or singing at her. She gets lonely without hyper kids in her face or snuggles from mama.
Things to do: get stuck on her stomach, get tickled (she rarely giggles and when she does it sounds like a bad fake laugh!)

My favorite things about Rachel

5 months: loving her Scotty

She was meant to be the third child with very high energy siblings. A head appears inches from her nose, bouncing around and singing loudly in her face--and she smiles. EVERY TIME. And occasionally grabs a nose or a handful of hair. I call it her self-defense mechanism. She falls asleep easily 90% of the time and sleeps through the chaos of kids running in and out of a room only a foot away from hers. She'll fall asleep on the floor with kids running in circles around her. She can transition from sleeping to waking instantly without being thrown off for the entire day--especially if she gets a solid morning nap. Unlike the first two, she doesn't mind her carseat or rides in the car. She likes to snuggle and calms to me, but she mostly just wants interaction. If she was my first kid I probably wouldn't think she was so easy because she likes constant entertainment--which Scotty and Alyssa are much more equipped to provide.

5 months: pat-a-foot with Alyssa

She is so engaging! I took the kids to story time at the library last week and the librarian commented to me how aware the baby was. She watched the kids help with puppet show, and looked at the pictures in the book. She even caught some of the bubbles at the end. She watches everything and is always trying to grab things, eat things, and communicate. Her whole face lights up when she seems someone and she coos and sings and yells happily all day long.

5 months: Alyssa was singing her songs when she woke up and Eric walked in to discover this

 She is working on sitting up independently, and can balance fairly well without tipping. She gets excited when she sees her toes and tries to eat them, so she often folds in half but she is very capable of holding herself up. The next adventure is starting solids but I'm in no rush. She nurses well (especially since I cut my hair and she can no longer tangle it all up) and doesn't seem interested in regular food. I've sneaked her an occasional bite of ice cream and she is still clueless about spoons or opening her mouth.

Rachel's Blessing

So this post is almost exactly two months late, but whatever! I'm juggling three kids, a busy husband, and a part-time job--I'm impressed that anything gets done around here. Just don't look in my fridge; we've been out of milk for 2 days and we still have tupperware with Thanksgiving leftovers...

ANYWAY.

October 14, 2012
Our sweet baby Rachel Marie Larsen was blessed by her daddy,  and both sets of grandparents got to be there. It was so great to have Charlie and Leanne out here! Leanne was super woman, cooking freezer meals and helping with the kids while I worked even though she was down to one arm.

the Larsens

her sad face is adorably scrunched up :)

the Mary Poppins feet!

Love!

I love this little peach dress! It actually belongs to one of my mom's dolls and it was the dress I was blessed in as a baby.

Alyssa also got to wear it. See any resemblance?

Alyssa, 1 month: BIGGER eyes :)

and pointy ears

but they both do "that tongue thing"

More kids means decent looking family pictures are harder to come by :)

with Nani and Papa

P.S. for the curious, we all agree that Rachel looks more like Scotty as a baby, with the same furrowed brow and big ears. Her head isn't as round as his was and she has the pointy chin like Alyssa.

I love: Rachel

Rachel is 3 months old today! Which means it is only fitting that I post about her 2 month stats :)

Our sweet little one continues to be sweet, and little.

At 10 weeks (I got a little busy at the beginning of November!) she was:

Weight: 9 lb 15.5 oz (10%)
Length: 23" (70%)
Head circumference: 38 cm (10%)
(the chemist in me finds it odd that doctors in the US mix English and metric units like this....)

9 days old

Dear Rachel-Angelo,

I do believe your Nani gave you the perfect nickname. You are charmingly sweet and delicate to hold. You still seem so tiny, weighing in at just over 10 pounds. Because you are relatively tall (long?) for your age you haven't yet picked up any baby rolls, except for a tiny bit of plumping at your hips. You are becoming your own little person, yet you remind me of so many people I love.

You eat like Grandpa Woodhouse, which is to say you are leisurely and savoring every taste. In less politically correct terms, you drink milk like it is molasses and could easily "nurse" for 30 minutes and still complain when the meal is over. Occasionally I feel like one of those drinking containers they use in hamster cages with the little rolling ball at the end, as you sometimes forget to latch and suck and just wait for manna from heaven to fall into your mouth.

You smile and light up like Alyssa. Whenever someone catches your eye your whole face instantly bursts into a huge smile and you start singing. You don't even seem to mind your brother and sister getting centimeters from your face and respond with sweet smiles and arm flailing.

my Mini-Eric (9 days old)

You sleep like your daddy. That is to say you can fall asleep just about anywhere, and sleep through just about anything. You stage a sleep protest about once every 2 weeks, sneaking in 15 minutes catnaps all night and day when I'm not looking, but even then you don't really get fussy, just alert. The rest of the time you sleep like a pro, which is such a refreshing change from your older siblings! It is not uncommon to find you sprawled out on the blanket in the middle of a block building party, fast asleep, while Scotty and Alyssa run in circles around you. When I lay you down in bed, you close your eyes and smile a half smile, as if you are saying:  "it feels so good to just lay down and fall asleep!" You often fall asleep draped across my arm while I am engaged in animated conversations with a friend or playing games with your brother and sister--and often I don't even notice. It is even more common for your daddy and I to exchange amazed glances at your ability to just recognize that you are tired and close your eyes! You also snore like your daddy. I have to admit that it's a cuter feature coming from you :)

You sneeze like your Peeta (Grandpa Larsen). Even from the other room I can hear the massive sneeze-plosion. People unfamiliar with your talents often mistake the build up as you starting to fuss or cry, only to be surprised at the powerful little blasts you can produce. Your daddy and I laugh every time, but despite our best efforts we have been unable to catch the recitals on video.

There are also a million things you do that are distinctly you. I will be sad when you lose some of your "baby" mannerisms, like how you still tuck your legs up under you when you stretch. How you naturally hold your feet with your heels together like Mary Poppins. How your eyes cross when you watch your toes dance, or your satisfied smile when you successfully navigate your fingers into your mouth for slurping. Most of all, I will miss feeling like I still have a tiny bundle, fresh from heaven. I love watching you grow and learn and explore, but part of me selfishly wants to keep you as my baby forever, so I don't find myself longing for another one.

Mary Poppins feet (on her blessing day)

I'll just have to find more reasons to hold you and more time to kiss you.

All my love,
Mama

I love: Alyssa

Lyssabelle. Syssa. Where do I even begin with this girl?

My dear Syssa,

When I imagine myself at age two, I picture you. You are such a character, full of spunk, determination, and sweetness. You are probably more sweet than I was! My days with you are a roller coaster. One second, you are yelling in frustration as you are trying to master a new skill, which you want to figure out and problem solve and complete ALL BY YOURSELF. You have been getting yourself dressed since you were 18 months old, including shoes. You have even taught yourself how to successfully wear socks with flip flops. You can put yourself in footed zip up pajamas. Best of all, you have learned that there are some limitations to your abilities, so after trying a few times, you will ask me to help you do the final snap or to hold your diaper down so you can pull your pre-snapped pants over it. You are insistent about doing things yourself, and often times your learning is accompanied by weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth (though I have recently taught you to say "this is really really hard!" instead of yelling. at least sometimes). Amazingly, once the task is mastered or the tricky shoes are on, you come bouncing out of your room, so proud and ready to show me the great skill you have learned. You don't carry resentment or frustration. Once the hard thing is done, you are right back to your sweet, cheery self.

You are my little singer. Your adorable mispronunciations and sing-song melodies (which are fairly true to pitch) fill the house. And the car. And the hallway, late at night when I think you are sleeping. Your favorite songs to sing: I am a child of God, I love to see the temple, the family name songs (Scotty, Nani, Papa, Lyssabelle, Rachel), The Wise Man and the "Fuelish" Man, Follow the Prophet, and Pickle Pickle Little Star. Last week, after dropping Scotty off at a birthday party, I thought you might be sad to be left behind. I asked you if you had a happy face about a special outing with Mama, and you treated me to "no one likes a frowny face, change it for a "file" - both verses, on endless repeat. I smiled all the way home. A month ago we were celebrating a typical Saturday in LarsenLand; when the college football refs signaled for a false start, you joined right in with them: "do as I'm doing, follow, follow me." Following in your brother's footsteps via bed time song requests, you have walking around the house this week singing "Jingle Bells, Batman smells." Sometimes I forget that you are only two because you carry on such intelligent, two-sided conversation. "How was your day at school today, mama? Did anyone choose to do bad things?" Your dad and I often exchange bemused and amused smiles over your antics.

From birth you have struck me as such an expressive little girl. You pulled tremendous faces! You have since learned how to use those big green eyes of yours. You flash them at me with shrugged shoulders and a sweet impish smile when you are being a mischievous. You are quick to lower your eyebrows and give daddy the evil eye if he starts teasing you, calling you a silly goose (you always reply: "I'm not a silly goose! I am TWO!"). You still unconsciously sign please when you ask nicely.

Basically, every day with you is an adventure. I am always wondering what new thing you are going to try, and master. Because you never give up. I am so delighted to have you for a daughter!

All my love,
Mama

P.S. I'm amazed that with your determination and independence that you are still content to wear diapers. I'm definitely not going to push that issue until you tell me you are ready! I don't think I could survive the pushback :)

I love: Scotty

A few weeks ago, after a late night feeding when I found myself regrettably wide awake, I began composing letters in my head to each of my children. I took advantage of the peace and quiet to take a step back and see my kids from the outside, from the "I can enjoy the little moments and see how special you are without thinking about all the things I'm trying to teach you as you grow" sort of view. I suppose that is the grandparent perspective.

So here it is (at least some parts. Not EVERYTHING that passes through my head is for public consumption!).

Dear Scotty,

Sometimes I see you running around the house and I realize my gerber baby is in full kid mode, complete with karate chop action. You run, jump, and climb on everything. I'll try to do more playing and less telling you to tone it down or just sit still. I'll watch when you say: "mama, look how high I can jump! I can jump all the way from the couch to this tile!" instead of cringing about all the ways I imagine you hurting yourself or breaking something while you hurtle through the air.

I'm amazed by your ability to remember small details and conversations we have. When you see a friend you remember exactly where and when you last played with them--even if it's been months. When you ask me groggily in the middle of the night if we can go to the zoo next Thursday, I have to think twice before I agree because I KNOW no matter how dazed you appear, you will store that bit of information and hold me to it!

You have a natural knack for math and numbers. You used to count from 29 to 2010. Yesterday, instead of singing to yourself while you were helping me clean, you counted to 59. I'm not sure when you realized your mistake or how you corrected it; I just know I miss getting to 2012 using your (much faster!) counting strategy. You constantly ask me questions like "what's 3 + 3 + 4?" and quickly answer them yourself. I take no credit for your apparent math knowledge except for possibly genetics. Can a kid be born knowing how to do math?

I love seeing you put your mind to something and working to achieve it. I often lament that you would rather ask for help than figure something out yourself, but you are starting to see how much you can accomplish by practicing. I credit your music class for that, and for bringing out the music in you. You were never the baby that cooed along with me, or the toddler that walked around the house singing, or even the kid that sang out loud in primary. When you sit at the piano, you finally seem comfortable enough to express yourself musically and it makes my musical heart sing! I'm so glad that at the end of the day, especially our hard days, I can sit by you at the piano and play our little duet.

Most of all, I love all of our talks. Yes, we are ALWAYS talking, but I try to imagine all of the times in the next 15 years where you won't want to talk to me and it makes me cherish your chattiness. You also have a knack for saying the best things. While watching a presidential debate this election season, you surprised both your dad and I by knowing the names of both the candidates. Your fact checking was followed by this gem of an observation: "Why is Obama even trying? He already had a turn! Doesn't he know that you have to share?" Out of the mouths of babes...

I am so glad I got you, my Scotty, with all of your love and personality.

And I'm glad I have this letter to come back to when we're having one of THOSE days and I find myself forgetting just how lucky I am :)

Love,
Mama

One Month

Time flies by. Even when you're cherishing every minute by not sleeping :)

thanks Auntie Misty for my awesome wardrobe!

Rachel Marie is 5 weeks old already! I went back to work last week and life just keeps marching on. Typically, she is a sweet, mellow little thing who likes to sing and coo, curl up like a frog with her ginormous monkey feet and snores in her sleep. Sometimes, however, she gets in a funk. When funky, she sleeps in 20 minute spurts. She also believes that she should eat every time she wakes, making these funky days even more exhausting for me. I feel like I should do weight checks on myself to see how much she is draining from me! Some days she has my body thinking it made triplets...

Her first few weeks included frequent projectile vomiting that had the doctors concerned she had pyloric stenosis and would require surgery....we have since discovered that she is just a bulimic in training--overeating and then violently re-gifting her largesse. I have to pay attention to how often and how long she nurses because she has no self-control and will just keep eating, but other than that she is growing and perfectly healthy.

she's learning the "shifty" face from her big sister...

Her one month stats:

Weight: 7 lb 12 oz (Scotty's birth weight!) - 10%
Length: 21" - 50%
Head: 36.5 cm - 25%
 (compare to Alyssa's stats here...)

Essentially, my (one week late!) 5 week old is the same size as my first born, but with a smaller head. So petite! She still feels tiny to me. She has yet to outgrow a single thing! I even bought a huge pack of newborn diapers because they fit her so well. She'd be drowning in 1s...

I love those feet! if she was a puppy I'd predict she'd be 6' tall...

Her favorite things:
1) eating
2) being held
3) curling up with mama (I love my new wrap! it makes babies so portable. She even nursed while I walked the older kids around Ikea today)
4) singing to daddy
5) watching her siblings play
6) sleeping

She's a pretty good sleeper (except those Funky days). Unlike my older two, this one will just fall asleep wherever she is when she needs a nap. Even if that place is a blanket in the middle of a pile of toys with the older two running laps and yelling. It's a tender mercy and practically a miracle that she gets any sleep around here. In fact, she probably has a hard time sleeping at night because despite our best efforts with a white noise machine, a fan, Eric snoring, and the music from her swing, we just can't recreate the Chaos that exists most of the daylight hours around here.

True to form, she fell asleep whilst chilling on her blanket as I typed this. Angel!

Ah, the blessings of being the third child. We love you, RachelAngelo!

Birthday Girl

 Alyssa is Two!

It's handy to stack birthdays, isn't it? August is kid birthday central around here, with another one likely imminent. Fortunately, they follow birth order so I can keep all the numbers straight.

Without further ado, here are things I love about Alyssa!

2010

1. Her drive to learn new things! This girl wants to do everything, and she wants to do it now, and she wants to do it herself! I have a love/hate relationship with this quality in my two year old, but I admit it's one of the things I most admire about myself so I appreciate where it will take her. She jumps into life with both feet and no hesitation.

2011

2. Her genuine sweetness and willingness to listen. It sounds ironic, because the girl won't accept any help (if I even reach to touch her shirt while she is getting dressed she will take it all the way off, back away into the corner, and start over!), but she will listen to my guidance and try to follow my example. If she it yelling and trying to shove her feet into the wrong shoes, I can tell her that they are on the wrong feet and she will actually listen to me! If she is all worked up and crying hysterically, Eric will scoop her up in his arms and tell her that she needs to calm down--within seconds, she will reply with a shaky "o-tay..." and stop sniffling. If she is trying to get my attention by repeatedly whacking me in the stomach and yelling "mama!", all it takes is a quick reminder from me and she will flash me the sweetest grin and say "please mama?" in a very polite voice. Whenever she hears another kid crying, she immediately notices, comments, and wants to help. She has a special sweet spirit about her that is completely endearing. These sweet smiles are the high points in days filled with battles over everything she is determined to do herself!

2012

Second birthday stats:
Height: 33" (20% --she's actually a little taller but she stands knock-kneed)

Weight: 24.3 lbs (5%)

Hair: long, with the shorter layer now falling around her shoulders, blondish, and curly at the ends

Eyes: big, beautiful and clearly green/hazel

Words: a billion. With such a talker for a big brother she has no need for speech but finds plenty of reason to talk. She's picked up Scottish phrases, which crack me up, and usually speaks in complete sentences, including please and thank you. Not always understandable, but emphatic!

Favorite book: Moo, Baa, La La La or The Colors Book

Favorite song: Do As I'm Doing, The Nani Song, I Am a Child of God, The Wise Man & the Foolish Man

Favorite color: yellow or purple. I'm making this up since she doesn't know colors, but she tells me everything it either yellow or purple so I'm assuming she favors them :)

Favorite toy: Mickey Mouse! Her eyes light up when we wander the mall and she sees the Disney store. Can't wait to take her to Disneyland....maybe next summer? She also loves bags and purses.

Favorite activities: slides, swings, coloring, and bubbles

 We love you, Lyssabelle!

Birthday Boy

Scotty is Five!

2007

Five things I love about Scotty:
1. His willingness to help. He helps his sister whenever she lets him and he plays "fetch" for me all day long.

2008

 2. His silliness. He loves stories and jokes about stinky feet (thanks, Papa!). He makes up jazz scat songs. He tells me silly facts about his stuffed dog Ruffles. He thinks everything is funny.

2009

 3. His conversation. There is never a dull moment around here! He still talks constantly, often with questions about how things work and he actually listens to my answers. I call him my little scientist because he is very observant and wants to understand the "how" and the "why" behind everything. Yesterday he was all about frogs, wanting to know which kind was the biggest and which was the smallest and what made them different...

2010

4. His ability to accept help. Scotty is the first person to ask for help when he thinks something might be too hard. Sometimes this is frustrating for me as I am trying to teach him new skills and build his confidence to try new things, but compared to Alyssa as a two year old, the simple request "will you please help me, Mama?" followed by a sweet hug of thanks is a wonderful blessing!

2011

5. His friendliness. He sincerely wants to be nice and be friends with everyone. He will share just about any toy, happily, because he would rather have the friend than the object. He meets people everywhere we go. He often walks in to my room in the morning to tell me that I look pretty today or that he likes my hair! I'll be crushed when this sweet little boy no longer wants to be best friends with his mama, but for now he tells me that he wants to stay with me forever, even when he's married :o)

2012

Fifth birthday stats:
Height: 41.5" (25%)

Weight: 33.4 lbs (5%--he's gained 3 pounds in the last year!)

Favorite things: Spiderman, ninjas, bad guys, transformers, legos, swords, guns, baseball, building forts

Favorite book: Curious George, Flat Stanley, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. We finished reading our first chapter book, Stuart Little, over the summer.

Favorite activities: running, wrestling, hide and seek, yelling, eating treats, going to preschool

We love you Scotty! So glad you got a "tremote control car" for your birthday :o)