Devon is Nine in Quarat-tine

This is not how we expected to celebrate your 9th birthday *cue pandemic references…* However, you rocked it. Back in May when your sister had a birthday, you said, “I don’t really want to still be socially distanced, but it would be kind of fun if I still couldn’t have a party and got to have a birthday parade too!” Well, you got your wish 🙂 I think the only gift you’ll remember is your Nick the Niffler stuffie. You have a great love for stuffies and anything related to Harry Potter (or Fantastic Beasts, as the case may be.)

Your love of all things LEGO only grew over the last year. You spend lots of time swinging, preferably while singing songs from Hamilton, and have gotten exponentially better at going on walks / short hikes without complaint – as long as someone is willing to talk to you. Dog snugs or Mom huggles are still some of your favorite things, and I don’t mind at all that we have to snuggle while we do schoolwork. I can’t wait to see what your last year in single-digits brings!

What is your favorite color? Lime green. (First year ever it hasn’t been blue!) 

What is your favorite toy? Legos.

What is your favorite fruit? Banana.

What is your favorite TV show? Captain Underpants.

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Totinos pizza. (I introduced him to this delicacy and I’m not ashamed!)

What is your favorite outfit?  Banana tank top with my red shorts.

What is your favorite game? Chess.

What is your favorite snack? Peanut butter filled pretzels.

What is your favorite animal? Dog.

What is your favorite song? “The Reynold’s Pamphlet” from Hamilton.

What is your favorite book? Any Harry Potter book.

Who is your best friend? Judah Wiens (even though he’s lived 4+ hours away for 7 years now…)

What is your favorite movie? Hamilton

What is your favorite thing to do outside? Swing.

What is your favorite drink? Vitamin Water, Power-C flavored

What is your favorite holiday? Christmas.

What do you like to take to bed with you at night? “Chompers. My Kindle. The Tortilla blanket [that he gave me for Christmas and then stole.] And Wesley.”

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes!

What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Breakfast for dinner. (Even though this isn’t what we’re having, and he got to choose…)

What do you want to be when you grow up? A famous basketball player.

**Every single answer was preceded by, “Ummmm…”

Devon is 8

My cute boy. My sweet boy. You experience life very intensely and still keep me on my toes. You would happily spend all day playing elaborate games with made up characters named after some of your favorite American Ninja Warriors – and in fact – some of those kids had to come with us for your birthday celebrations. You could spend hours, and sometimes do, talking about which kids are with us, how they’re loaded into the car, what they’re eating…

You love Harry Potter, all things LEGO, and making weird faces in pictures. Breakfast food is some of your favorite of all time, which is why we had apple cider donuts from the orchard and pancakes for dinner on your birthday.

Math is probably your favorite subject, because it’s easy for you and you get to do it on the computer! Anything that requires you to hold a pencil and write is your least favorite. All school work is better when you get to snuggle a dog while doing it though!

You have a very generous heart, when you want to, and you’re growing your hair out so you can donate it, and you don’t even care that people mistake you for a girl more often than not. You’re running low on teeth these days, but you still managed to eat corn on the cob this summer. I was mighty impressed!

I’m excited to see the person you’re becoming, but so, so grateful that you’re still into huggles (one of my favorite Devon-isms “It’s a hug and a snuggle combined!”) You give some of the best hugs in the world, which I guess we have Goofy to thank for 🙂

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What is your favorite color? Blue. 

What is your favorite toy? Legos.

What is your favorite fruit? Bananas!

What is your favorite TV show? Full House.

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Mac & Cheese and fish sticks.

What is your favorite outfit?  “My ‘Iowans: The few, the proud, the extremely cute!’ shirt and my patterned gray shorts.”

What is your favorite game? Taco vs. Burrito.

What is your favorite snack? Homemade trail mix.

What is your favorite animal? Dog.

What is your favorite song? “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman. (He’s learning it on the piano and so excited!)

What is your favorite book? “Oooh, that’s hard. Honestly…. Harry Potter.”

Who is your best friend? Judah! (even though he’s lived 4+ hours away for 6 years now…)

What is your favorite movie? The Greatest Showman

What is your favorite thing to do outside? Hula hoop.

What is your favorite drink? Frosted Lemonade

What is your favorite holiday? “Halloween. No Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. Make sure you write that all down, Mom.”

What do you like to take to bed with you at night? “Douglas (the prairie dog.) Chompers. And Louie (the longhorn.)”

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes!

What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Breakfast!

What do you want to be when you grow up? A baker.

Five Little Monkeys & 14 Weeks

I think Chloe first sang this song with her wonderful sitter.  Then we heard it on the kids music channel on our TV and she was dancing along with the actions.  Finally, one night when we were having trouble convincing Chloe to put her pajamas on, Aaron referred to them as her ‘Monkeys Jumping on the Bed Jammies’ and she put them on in a hurry.  We haven’t been able to stop singing the song since. 

In case you’re not familiar, it goes something like this: 
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped her head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, “No more monkeys jumping on the bed!  …  Four little monkeys jumping on the bed…” 

Aaron even found a version on YouTube that’s a bit reggae.  Cute, but very annoying when it’s stuck in your head.

This morning, we had our 14 week check-up for BabyD.  I knew it would be a quick appointment, so we planned on just taking Chloe with us.  When Aaron told her we were going to the doctor this morning, she replied with “No, no monkeys!” and patted herself on the head.  Yes, that’s right ladies and gentlemen.  My daughter doesn’t equate doctors with shots or anything bad.  She just thinks about those darn little monkeys who jump on the bed!!

How did our appointment for BabyD go??  It was uneventful, always a good sign.  I was informed that all my bloodwork from my first appointment came back in black ink, which is good.  “You don’t want red ink,” according to my doctor.  I had gained 4 pounds in 4 weeks, which is right one track.  I then admitted that I had really gained 4 pounds in 1 week and he said averages were all that mattered.  Whew!!  I just have to make sure I don’t do that every week 🙂  The doctor also measured my stomach for the first time and I’m right on track.  So…uneventful!!  We scheduled our next appointment, with our ultrasound (yay!!) for April 27.   Here’s to hoping the time flies by!!

Just for fun, this is my belly shot at 19 weeks with Chloe Mae.  This is what I looked like at 10 weeks and 14 weeks with BabyD.  I’ve heard it’s common to show earlier with your second child, but, wowzers!!

10 weeks

14 weeks