Our First Month “On the Farm”!

I can’t believe it’s been over a month since living here on the farm! It’s been a fun adventure and a growing and fun experience! It’s been a fun summer! I have SOOO many pictures (surprise surprise), and I felt so overwhelmed by wanting to post but having too many that I didn’t know where to start, so this is mostly a picture post (or dump as it may be called). These are just SOME of the things we’ve been doing during this past month (in no particular order):

We have had some fun family home evening nights. This one was particularly memorable!

The Fourth of July was very eventful this year.

Yes for the 4th, we actually chopped off this rooster’s head. Yes it sounds morbid, and frankly it kind of was which is why I’ll spare you the “actual” photos, but let’s just say that because of this rooster, my son (as well as the younger kids) are terrified of the back field. He has chased, pecked, and frightened the children long enough. . . the kids were begging for us to kill the rooster. . . So he spoke his last peace today. Freedom from the tyranny of the Rooster.

Now that the aerial fireworks are legal, this year’s firework show where we were at (just at our house!) was seriously incredible! Free firework show right in our very own neighborhood, and we didn’t even have to buy any of the aerial ones. It was a fun show this year and Oliver’s first time seeing it all! He wasn’t scared even once!

On the farm we get to see lots of fun animals every day.

One particular highlight was being the witnesses of the birth of 4 adorable kittens which we’ve LOVED seeing grow each and every day.

My awesome cousin, Jaylee, spent some time with us which was fun!

We did some outside work projects . . .

And then we would play! Let me just say that the sunset’s this summer have been INCREDIBLE! And these are just a few different nights!

This was a Foam Day event which we went to! It really was a fun family activity going to this free event.

Ok, now I’d like to highlight my two adorable boys and the fun things they are doing lately. First we’ll start with my precious CALEB! Oh how I love this little man . . .

Yes this is his new “bedroom.” I honestly thought the novelty of it would wear off and we’d have to figure something else out, but nope this bedroom is working out just great! He’s our little Harry Potter in his cupboard under the stairs.

All day every day this kid plays outside! That is one thing that I’m so glad about with our new arrangements. Beforehand in the condo, we just would ‘maybe’ get outside for the day. But now that he has full access to a very fun yard, we have barely watched movies this summer and he just gets all of that little boy energy out all of the time! I absolutely LOVE it!

We did do one session of swim lessons. But the hour commute round-trip to get there wasn’t worth  doing it more. But Caleb made some really great progress and is floating on his back as well as swimming through the water. He’s my little fish!

We’ve enjoyed some walks as well as enjoying his “uncles.” Even though they quarrel sometimes like brothers, they are the best of buddies too!

Ok, now on to my precious OLIVER who is growing WAY TOO FAST!!!! He is the happiest little squirt. It’s been a little tough though having him in our bedroom at night as we try and train him to sleep through the night. There were some REALLY tough nights, but we are now getting him to go a full 8 hour stretch without eating and he has started to sleep through the full 8 hours, which is wonderful! The key we have found is to be consistent and not give in. When we are consistent at letting him cry it out, even in the middle of the night, he makes more progress faster and all three of us are happier! Oliver is much more stubborn than Caleb  (you wouldn’t guess it by that innocent little smile of his . . . ), and  he doesn’t like sleep as much as Caleb does, but he is learning and it’s coming along just great!

Oliver is VERY anxious for food! He has actually already cut TWO TEETH! practically at the same time too! He would reach for our food and try to grab at anything to shove into his mouth. I think he realized that the sooner he cut teeth, the sooner he’d get all of this delicious food. Currently his favorites are smoothies, watermelon (and other fruit such as this apple), rice cereal mixed with applesauce, plain water, and he’s even tried ice cream and other sweets that uncles or (dad) has given to him. 

(and yes that second picture, Oliver isn’t ‘trying’ to give a different message with those hands . . . haha but I had to post because he seriously does that a lot – even did it in the womb on the ultrasound, and I find it quite funny sometimes)

He is daddy’s little buddy! He loves to have giggle time with daddy.

Also when I got finished taking a shower, I went up to find where John and Oliver went, and the second picture below is what I found! Too cute!

Oliver loves his uncles too! He also loves chins. He will attack your face the first chance he gets. . . and I know. He even gave me a hickie on my chin that I had for several days. Yes a hickie. Didn’t know that was possible with a 6 month old, but it is apparently. He was quite determined to eat my face, and I wasn’t quick enough.

He loves chins. He loves feet. He loves practically anything.

And even though he is happy MOST of the time, he can be a little grump. But a very cute little grump

Oliver and I are going strong still with nursing, of which I am very grateful. Caleb and I only made it barely to 3 months till we completely stopped, and even though I was fine with that at the time, I wanted to have a positive experience this time with it, and it has been truly wonderful! I love my bonding time with him and even though he is tall and still skinny, he is thriving and it’s been a great experience. Oliver loves to hold my thumb like this every time he nurses. It seriously melts my heart.

This little guy is now 6 months old! I need to take his official 6 month of photos (of which I am SUPER excited for!). Don’t be fooled by the color you see in this picture, but I’m pretty sure his eyes are dark blue/green. It’s sort of hard to say, but honestly there isn’t much brown in there if at all. It’s still on the dark grey side though with mix of green or blue depending on how the light hits it. His hair has fallen out drastically since his birth, but it’s still a light brown with tints of red when the sun hits it just right.  I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since I gave birth to this little miracle.

Well that’s been our month so far (at least of the pictures I’ve gone through). It’s been lots of fun and we look forward to more fun months ahead!