7 months and some funny stories

The tongue and a crown

Oh how I love this little man!!!He is so much fun. I can't believe he is already 7 months old! As you can see he LOVES his tongue...he sticks it out every time he smiles. He is such a charmer. He still loves his bath, his brothers and sisters, eating LOTS of big boy food, and being held. He has started "fake" giggling at random things. It makes me laugh which makes him laugh for real. He has also discoverd blowing raspberries...he does it all the time! I think he is cutting his top teeth, which means he likes me to hold and snuggle him all the time. Being the 4th child makes that impossible though =) He is learning to sit on the floor and play with his toys. He is still trying to crawl, but he usually just ends up scooting across the room backwards. Jude got to go with us to New York City with us to for some much needed R&R. He is a perfect traveler, flirts with all of the flight attendents, smiles at all the grumpy people passing by (which always makes them smile), and just being a sweetie.

My other little people are growing so fast also. Right before Christmas Bailey Kate slapped me in the FACE because we were leaving the park. I asked her, in shock, "did you slap me?" She proudly responed "YES!" Let's just say after that little incedent dicipline was a very consistent thing in BK's life. I'm happy to report she is doing SO much better. Her preschool teacher even commented that she seemed to "grow up" over the break =) She has also graduated to "unnerwears"...that's right....she is potty trained! Only 1 kid in diapers is AWESOME (and tons cheaper). She now has 2 favorite dresses, the ugliest dresses we own, that she begs to wear EVERY day! We have been able to strike a compromise and she wears what mommy picks out in the morning and after naps she can change into her "dess."

Cole is his father's clone. Let's just say he is the class clown and NEVER stops talking! He still has his "special" friend Reagan at school. The other day he asked Bailey Kate if he could have one of her rings to give to Reagan. I asked him why he was giving her a ring and he replied, "because it will make her like me!" He gave her the ring the next day and I asked him how it went. He said,"She loved it and said said thank you!" I saw Reagan and her mom the next day walking into school and the mom thought it was so cute and Reagan was actually wearing the ring. I told her to stick with the jewelers =) My little ladies man....be still my heart!

My sweet Cooper! He is such an old soul. His heart is already so inclined to Jesus. We listen to books on tape when we ride in the car, he always asks the definition of words and has just started telling me the definitions of the words. The other day we were riding in the car and he said, "Mom, when we go to heaven we will be new." I said,"that's right" He then said, "I think big nanny and little nanny should go to heaven and get new. But not Nina because she is already new." He has the right idea, just a little off =) We are also in the stage where I cringe when we pass certain people because I never know what is going to come out of their mouths. We were walking into school and one of the kids were being walked in by his grandpa. Cooper yelled, "that's a really old daddy." Um ya....

6 Months

So excited to be 6 months old!

My baby is 6 months old!!!! How did that happen!?!? I can't believe he is getting so big. He has been such a joy and such an easy baby I have been savoring and soaking up as much "baby" time as I can. He is already trying to crawl! Since about 5 1/2 months he pulls up on all 4's and rocks back and forth. Cole didn't even attempt this until he was 10 months old! I think we are going to have a mobile baby on our hands soon! He has also mastered sitting up by himself. He LOVES it because he can play with his toys better and I think he just likes to feel big. I started feeding him some solid foods. So far he has had cereal, bananas, and butternut squash. He is only eating 2 times a day (if that) and I have slowed him down a bit because we got a nasty stomach bug and I have been "tanking" him up with breast milk just in case he gets sick. So far he is in the clear, but we shall see. Bath time is his favorite time of the day! He starts kicking and squealing when he hears the bath water running and when he gets in the water he kicks, splashes and squeals the whole time. It is the cutest thing ever!!! He is still a chunky monkey. He is in size 6-9 month (sometimes 12 month) clothes. He is such a happy baby, he squeals and smiles all the time. He just started "fake" laughing when other people around him are laughing...hilarious! He has one little tooth about to poke through on the bottom left. He is still the most loved baby by his siblings (as I sit here and write this BK is hugging and snuggling him while he sits on the floor and plays).

This week has been challenging with all the sickness and it being so close to Christmas. I had grand plans for the week before Christmas and all the fun traditions. My family was going to come extra early, but because of the puking it has been postponed a bit. Yesterday, as I had just finished cleaning up a puking child, I was snuggling 2 little people and watching the other 2 play around me, I felt completely content. Not that I love puking kids (or cleaning it up) but I realized their is no where I would rather be. Puke and all, my life with these little people and my husband is pretty amazing and I wouldn't change it for the world!

The Nutcracker

I have been to the Nutcracker every year since I was 2 years old. I remember going with my mom and Great Grandma. I remember getting my first nutcracker, I think when I was 2, with my Great Grandma. I'm so excited to carry on this tradition with my sweet girl. She is SO into dancing like a "pincesss" all the time. The morning after we got home from the nutcracker she put on her tutu, I found a nutcracker ballet on netflix and she danced the morning away! After the show their was a tea for the little girls to go to and meet the characters. Our sweet friends, Christy and Emma, were able to go with us (along with Mimi, Nina, Abby and Whitney). What a special day full of amazing memories!

She was a little scared of the nutcracker and Rat king, but she warmed up pretty fast!

Heaven!
Her Prince (Don't tell daddy!)

Tea with Emma


LOVE traditions!
My sweet girl and her new nutcracker

Dreaming of sugar plum fairies =)

Reindeer run and Kid's Praise Performance

This year our whole family ran in the reindeer run and then watched the parade afterwards. I was afraid it was going to be miserable, but it turned out to be one of my favorite memories of the holiday season so far. The boys ran the whole way (Cole cramped up and had a dry heaving episode) and BK ran for about half. She would run for a few minutes and then look up and wave at everyone who was waiting for the parade. She was hilarious. We were the LAST people to finish, but she refused to let me pick her up. She had to do it, "all by myself!"

My little runner (sorry, I can't figure out how to flip the picture.)

All my little runners

Post run lunch...Hazel's hot dogs

Jude decided to suck on his toes instead of eating the hot dogs =)

The boys had their kid's praise performance the other night and they did a great job singing! They were SO cute! Wednesday night is their favorite night of the week because Nina takes them to dinner, they go to Kid's praise and then go out with Nina, Ms. Christy and Emma for Frostys and French Fries. They are some blessed little boys and we are blessed by them!

Family Pictures

So our good friend Lauren Sykes took our family pictures this year. Getting good photo of a family of 6 is no easy feat, but Lauren did an awesome job! Here are a few of my favorites!

I love my little family!

5 months and "Gotcha" Day

So I can't believe it, but Jude the Dude is 5 months old!!! He is a sweet and happy little guy. He loves to sit in the bumbo seat at meals and watch his brothers and sister eat. They entertain him with silly faces and noises. I've given him a few puffs and an organic rice cake, but no official solids yet. I like to wait a while before I add another little person to feed =) He LOVES his feet! He is my first little one who will play on the floor with toys, but he is most entertained with his feet. It is SO cute! He also loves all things in his mouth. The other day he was sucking on both thumbs at the same time. He rolls from his belly to back regularly and has rolled from his back to belly once. He is also big enough to jump in his jumperoo. He has fits of excitement where he shakes all his limbs and squeals in delight. It is so funny! He still LOVES to eat....but sometimes he needs to see what is going on all around him or have a chat with me =) He is getting so big and I love him with all of my heart!

Best Buds!

Today also marks 3 years that Cooper became a Nettles. I can't believe it has already been 3 years, he is growing up so much and I can't imagine life without him! Since I don't have it written down anywhere I'm going to try to remember every detail from that day.

I remember waking the boys up with so much excitement...the day had come, no more wondering if something would change at the last minute. We had already had Cooper living with us for 4 months, he was ours. I was also about 4 months pregnant with Bailey Kate and just starting to show. I had found the boys cute matching outfits for our big day. We got them dressed and fed and we were on our way to the courthouse!

Cooper was a surprise (as much as an adoption can be =) We weren't actively looking to adopt. We had been foster parents the year before, but having an emergency c-section with Cole and my gallbladder removed 5 weeks later we asked to not be relicensed. So 9 months later my sweet friend from work (Susanne), who is one of the most amazing women I know, knew we wanted to adopt eventually and for some reason called me (in the middle of me tutoring a little girl), and plainly asked if we wanted to adopt a little boy. After praying that afternoon we felt like this was definitely God placing this sweet child in our lives, so we said yes!

So we got to the courthouse, my parents happened to be out of town because it was their anniversary, but Diane (my awesome MIL) came with us along with some of my siblings. Susanne also met us at the courthouse. We met with our lawyer and signed the papers. While we were waiting Susanne told me that Cooper's biological grandparents, brother and sister were there to get permanent custoday of Roland (Cooper's biological brother). They had decided not to adopt Cooper because he was showing signs of delays (His older sister is very delayed). They felt like at their age they couldn't raise 3 children with 2 having special needs. When I heard they were there I freaked out! Since we had had Cooper he had thrived. He actually walked sooner than Cole, he was eating great, starting to talk a ton, so happy and full of life and energy. Not delayed at all! I was scared they would see MY boy and want him back. Susanne and the lawyer told me that wasn't possible, but I was still petrified.

After they boys ran around for a whild to burn off some energy we went in the court room full of other families. It was November 17, national adoption day, so they expidited a lot of the adoptions so that they would be final on that day. They called us up, we all walked up, held our boys and the judge asked us some questions. I was holding Cole and Clay was holding Cooper, and then they wanted to switch right in the middle. The judge said something along the lines of, "Congratulations, Cooper Owen Nettles is now your son." (there was also some joke that we were going to have our third, 3 kids 2 and under soon) We took our boy and headed out the courthouse doors as parents to 2 sweet boys! I look at Cooper often and think how can I be so blessed to be a part of this little ones story. He is our special little treasure!

Halloween

We have had a full fall with lots of fun activities. The kids had their halloween parade/show and party. They dressed up and trick or treated through the offices at school.

The boys at there performance

Then we went to the corn maze. Unfortunately, Daddy had to work and Nina and Papa were out of town. Uncle Trey and Aunt Whitney got to come and we had tons of fun. We did get lost in the corn maze and kind of made our own path to get out...none of us have ever been known for our directional skills =)

Clay and I went to a party the Saturday before halloween and dressed as 80's rockers, pretty sure I already regret the costume and the pictures, but we did have a lot of fun =)

ummmm......

ya!!!

Having kids is super fun especially at holidays like Halloween =) Cole decided to be Jake from the Neverland pirates, Cooper wanted to be a cheetah (again), Jude was a monkey and Nina bought Bailey Kate the cutest Strawberry fairy costume. We have an AWESOME neighborhood to trick or treat in (I think all of St Augustine came to our neighborhood!). We went with some great friends from the neighborhood and another family from the kid's school and came back with SO much loot. We only got around one loop and the kids were tired and ready to come home and look through their stash. We are so blessed with sweet friends, fun kids, and an awesome place to live!

Ready to go!

My little monkey

"Really mom!?!"

She had so much fun! It took us forever to get to the houses because she would wave her arms and say, "I fly like a fairy!"

The Cheetah! "Jake"

Going through the loot!