Celebrating Six Months of Craziness and Joy

Today Sam, Isaac and Alex are six months old. It's hard to believe that half a year has already passed since we welcomed them into this world. Perhaps that's because time flies when you're having fun...or because the sleep deprivation has completely warped my sense of time.

It feels like this occasion warrants a special photo post or a video, but I haven't had time to put anything together, so this will have to do.

SAM
Sam, your hair gets redder every day, but your temperament has sweetened up greatly. When we first brought you home nearly everything led you to throw a fit. You would scream so hard you couldn't even draw a breath, and your face would get bright red. Amelia called you, "The boy that hurts my ears."

These days we get more giggles and smiles from you than screams, though when you get upset you do get very upset!

Sam, you love morning more than any other time of the day. You are almost always the first to wake up and you babble away for a while before demanding breakfast. These days you will drain an 8-ounce bottle, while your brothers will take 5 or 6 ounces.

You love to play with your feet right now, and I just love your big grin and the way you "talk" to me so seriously when you are on the changing table.

I love you, Sam. And I thank God that you are part of our lives.

ISAAC
Isaac, you are the smallest of the bunch still, but you know how to hold your own with your brothers. You were the first to get a tooth, and you started sleeping through the night the same time as your bigger brothers -- even though I was sure I would be getting up with you at night for a while because you were the littlest.

You are a very active boy. You LOVE to kick and splash in the bath, and you are really starting to enjoy the doorway jumper. I suspect it won't be long and your brothers will be trying to keep up with you.

I love to bury my face in your hair, as soft as duck down. I love to watch your face light up when you are amused, and boy do you have a pout that comes out when you are upset!

I love you, Isaac. And I thank God that you are part of our lives.

ALEX
Alex, how can anyone resist your big cheeks and huge smile? As soon as you learned how to grin, you have hardly ever stopped. You have rolypoly thighs and a rotund belly that lead us to call you the Baby Buddha.

What you love most is eating! You'll eat a good bottle, but give you something solid and stand back! From the second I first held the spoon in front of your mouth you knew exactly what to do. You are always the last guy to finish eating, and we already joke that I'm going to have to get a paying job just to keep you in food.

Alex, you are the leader of the pack when it comes to moving. You were the first to roll, and now you're up on your hands and knees, rocking back and forth and contemplating crawling. Any day now you will be officially mobile. You already will roll across the floor to get what you want.

I love your big chuckle and baby grin, and your (mostly) easygoing nature.

I love you Alex. And I thank God that you are part of our lives.