The Life and Times of the Millers

I've been "in absentia" due to the busy-ness of life, the presence of my photo-editing software in the same room Zion sleeps in, and the MASSIVE amounts of pictures I took over Christmas that I am wading ever so slowly through. Sigh upon sigh. But I have to put a few additions in my "digital scrapbook" quick while I'm remembering them.

Zion is such a "talkative" baby. From two months on, he has talked and talked and talked, for long minutes. More than my other kids were, for sure. "Geeee"'s and gurgles, and "guuuuuu"'s. From two months on, people have commented about how alert and responsive he is. He is very smiley, too, on interaction. The past week or two he has gotten pretty drooley and has been sucking on his hand a lot. Sigh. I could do with a good year or two without any drool or snot. Or poop that requires cleaning up, for that matter, while I'm living in Pretend Land.

Israel still doesn't talk a whole lot. Or rather, he talks in one word statements or extended noises that you can't understand a single word of, and you're not quite sure that he is actually saying anything, really, just imitating the sound of conversation around him. "Ca" is chocolate. (I hear a lot of this one! :)) "Ca-ca" is tractor. "Dooose!" is juice. "Nigh-ni" is nightey-night. "Don" is down or done. "NEOW!" is cat. "Woo!" is dog. I noticed he "talked" more than he usually does those few days in November when Tim and Gabe were gone. I think Gabe just talks enough that he doesn't really feel much of a need to. He is still napping, up to three hours in the afternoon. I usually wake him up early so that he can go to bed when I want him to.

He LOVES to mimic. He copies EVERYTHING Gabe does - sitting like Gabe does, scolding the dog like Gabe does, laughs when Gabe laughs, with great hilarity and animation. He is usually very cheerful and happy-go-lucky - except when the world goes wrong, and then he is down on the ground wailing his heart out. :) He gets a lot of colds. I'm currently on the search for how to boost his immunity.

Gabe is at a really fun age right now. He can articulate his thoughts, he can understand instruction, and is developing a sense of humor. He loves knock-knock jokes or puns. He also loves to laugh just to laugh, which honestly gets old after about 30 seconds of contrived laughter. :) He still is just crazy about Zion, yet could do without Israel a lot of the time. "DON'T TOUCH ME!! THIS IS MY SIDE!! YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT!!" Gabe is a good boy who wants to please, but gets a little squirrelly-distracted on his way to obey. :)

I feel really busy at this stage. Taking care of three baby-kids is a lot of work!! :) I literally feel like each baby ages me about three years more than I would be - because I'm often tired and have to keep going anyways! Zion is still mostly consta-need. Then, Israel still needs his Mommy sometimes and sometimes both of them are wailing and I just can't baby Israel like I wish I could because I have to tend to Zion. I'm trying to give Israel extra special time when I am able to. I really just have to make those times for him. Gabe and I have afternoons. I've been working with him to try to teach him to read using "How To Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons". It is actually SO rewarding for me to see him learn - a lot more rewarding than I thought. I REALLY want to impart my love of reading if I can at all.

Alrighty then. Digital scrapbook updated. Over and out for the Millers.