The Laura Blog

My favorite kind of post today: a sibling snapshot of our trio. They're all at such fun, but different, ages, and each is just so uniquely their OWN person. This has been both the craziest and busiest season of life, with all of us home ALL DAY EVERY DAY, but at the same time, I've really gotten to see them change and grow up before my eyes. The difference one year has made always takes my breath away, and looking back at pictures from February of last year, before quarantine began, really just gets me every time. They were so little.

Equally brilliant and emotional. Our homebody. This whole year cooped up inside has kept him 100% in his comfort zone, learning 1:1 with a teacher he already knew, snuggled up in our makeshift home school classroom. And he wouldn’t have it any other way without lots of nudging. His perfectionist self is always afraid to try new things, so we end up having to really push him to so. He always ends up shining when he does, a roller coaster of emotions that eventually ends in pride in himself. Lover of LEGOs, Mo Willems, and wrestling with his brother. Master reader, bike rider, karate student and roller-blader. Reading and LOVING Indian in the Cupboard. An early riser, a picky eater, a deep thinker, and on a mission to be right ALL of the time.  A mama’s boy forever and ever.

Biggest parenting challenge: encouraging him to try new things, which includes both activities and food.

August: almost 5

Imaginative and scatterbrained, August never stops talking. Knows and plays with all the things that big brother is into and is growing up so fast for that reason. Always dressed up as something, but most of the time Luigi, a Stormtrooper, or one of Oskar’s long-ago forgotten Halloween costumes. Is the BEST at independent play and listening to his made-up dialogues between his LEGOs makes my heart explode. His teacher said he spends most of his days looking for things that he lost (SO August), but is also constantly surprising us with what he knows. Classic middle child has said, “I always knew that, but you never asked me!” more than once. The only one of his siblings that often sleeps in, and goodness I love him for it. His emotions are big, but most of the time he’s goofy and happy-go-lucky, wanting to make everyone around him laugh.

Biggest parenting challenge: getting him to not give up on everything so easily--he truly just does not care most of the time, which is such a change from his big brother who is almost obsessive. A happy medium would be helpful 😉.

Maren: almost 1

Our beautiful baby girl, most often found pulling up on mama’s legs and yelling “UP, UP”. Crawling everywhere unbelievably fast, but also wanting to be upright and standing against everything. Loves pop-up Peekaboo books, music, and walks in her carrier. Throws all baby toys aside in lieu of specks of dirt, cords, her brothers’ toys, or phones. We also call her "magpie" because she looooves shiny objects, including my earrings and necklaces that I can barely wear anymore because she wants to rip them right off. Says “mama” and “dada and “DA!” for both doggie and duck. Fiercely attached to mama with a serious case of stranger danger, in true quarantine baby fashion. Napping 9:30-10:30a and 2:00-3:00, and sleeping  through the night, 7:00p-6:00a (on a good day). Eats almost everything she’s given, bless her, and is still nursing 4 times a day. Her three-toothed smile lights up our entire world, and we’re all constantly doing everything we can to get her to giggle. My 2020 resolution was to soak up every last bit of her, our last baby, and I’m forever grateful I’ve had this time with her. I only wish I could bottle her up and keep her this age forever.

Biggest parenting challenge: getting her to sleep in (which really means until at least 6a). We've had plenty of mornings starting in the 5s lately, which are notoriously brutal 😑.