Another Day, Another Memory

Walter Paul (11 months), our fourth baby, was born on January 19. He has been such a joy and light to have in our home. Walter is a small baby with a large spirit, so much determination and drive. By 2.5 months he was rolling over and sitting up on his own. He started crawling at 4.5 months and then taking his first steps soon after. Walter was officially walking at 9 months and is now working on trying to climb up on furniture. He is so content to just play on his own and is very observant of his surroundings. All three of his siblings dote on him and love playing with him. Walter has always been a very happy baby and loves to smile but laughter doesn't come as easily. It is so worth it to hear his laugh though and is one of the best sounds.

Eliza (2 years) is still just as feisty as ever and really only has two emotions: extreme happiness or extreme sadness. She can go from one extreme to the other in a split second and then revert back to the other extreme just as quickly; definitely a roller coaster of emotions and very sensitive. We are for sure kept on our toes with her. This past year she has expanded her vocabulary and loves to talk and sing. Eliza answers "yes" for just about everything and is very willing to help. Lately her favorite thing is copying everything Camilla does and says. Eliza idolizes her older sister and we hope Camilla doesn't ever get tired of that.

Camilla (4 years) is our most vocal in what she thinks and what she wants. She is not one to stand idly by and just takes charge, especially around her siblings. I often hear her bossing them around and it is not all that unusual to have her issue demands. We are working with her on being more polite and asking for something rather than demanding it. Although she is our most vocal, she is also our most shy. When she gets nervous she will usually laugh, actually she just loves to laugh at everything. Camilla is very logical and can reason her way through almost anything. Skills that come in handy when she bosses around her sister and brothers.

Arthur (5 years) is beginning to improve in so many areas and this past year has brought so much change in him. He learned how to pedal a bike and will use both of his feet to do so. He has learned how to write his name and recognizes most letters. His counting is at the point where he can count to ten correctly almost every time. In September he started Kindergarten and has become much better at using critical thinking and logic when he is struggling. We've noticed that he is able to calm himself down a lot faster and has learned how to manage his emotions in a more constructive way most of the time. Arthur had serial casting done this fall to help with his ankle as it was really tight. The casting lasted for six weeks and he is now wearing an orthotic as well as a night cast to keep his foot in an optimal position while we work on strengthening his muscles. Therapy is going so well and his walking has improved so much.

Cassie loves being a stay-at-home-mom and taking care of the children. Having four little ones who are five years and younger can be tiring but is so rewarding. Watching the relationships between the children develop is one of the best and most heart-warming things. Her days are filled with reading books, playing games, using her imagination, answering many questions, wiping tears, tickling tummies, and laughing through it all.

Tim changed jobs at the beginning of the year. Working for CLA was a wonderful blessing to our family and we are grateful for the opportunities provided, as well as all of the people we were able to meet and get to know. In February he started work at Envision Healthcare and has enjoyed working in an internal auditing position. Tim has had so many experiences serving with the Boy Scouts of America and has loved filling his roles in that area. The children are always so anxious for Tim to come home from work in the evenings and being able to play hide-and-seek or some other fun game. They love playing with their daddy.

This past year has brought many changes and blessings, for which we are truly grateful. Below are pictures from highlights of the year.

39+ weeks

So much hair!

Eliza's 2nd Birthday

Arthur's 5th Birthday

Thank you, Brock, for the fun Disney surprises!

Mommy's Birthday

Arthur had a Good Dinosaur birthday party and we dressed Walter up as Spot.

Camilla getting a tooth pulled because it was dying from being chipped.

After the tooth received a "bear hug" and was pulled out.

So happy to have Grandma Lisa and Papa Lee come for a visit!

Walter's blessing day/Easter Sunday

With Grandma Cathy and Papa Keith

A family picture with a real eagle!

Mother's Day

Arthur went on a run for the first time with Daddy

Best Friends

Father/Son Campout

Preschool Graduation (holding a picture of himself as a baby)

Tim rode on a blackhawk

Arthur had dental surgery and had it done under anesthesia because his cerebral palsy makes it more likely that sedation won't work well on him and we already knew he did okay with anesthesia from when he had his MRI.