I don’t know why, but I LOVE pumpkins!  They are so much fun!  Every year, I plant several different kinds of pumpkin plants.  [This year didn't give me ANY! :*(  ]  They are so much fun!  And, to top it all off, they make the best candy ever shaped like pumpkins!  Pumpkin Candy!  YAY!  I also love Candy Corn, but, the Pumpkin Candy is better because you get more with one bite!  He he!

How cute is this?!

Yesterday, Christopher surprised us with this:

“When Heavenly Father comes, I will hug Him.  And He will wuv me, and Jesus too!”

*MELT!*

I took Mallie in for her two week Well Child check-up.

She gained 9 oz. in two weeks!

And apparently grew 2 inches, too!

She is now 8 lbs. 9 oz. and 21 inches long.

So, for her weight, she is in the 58%.

For her height, she is in the 76%.

And, her head is 14.6 inches around, and is in the 74%.

She’s growing!

Why do they have to grow?!

Three years.

It’s been three fun years!

Christopher is quite the kid!

I sure love him and his funny ways!

This picture is when he was pretending to be “Rango”!

With his cowboy boots, “Biggie Boy” pants, and Daddy’s leather hat,
and his stick that looks like a gun.

He’d walk around and say with a drawl, “I’m Rango!”

Love him!

Happy Birthday, “Fisser John”!

(*That’s what he calls himself!*)

Just finished this one!  Love her little feet!  Love her!  :)

I was going through baby pictures, trying to figure out who Mallie looks the most like.
Tell me what you think!

Emily

 Emily

Mallie

Hannah

Robby

 Mallie

Christopher

Mallie

Christopher

It’s funny, but, when Mallie was first born, I thought she looked the most like Emily.
But, now, looking at the pictures of her and Christopher…hmm.
She doesn’t look too much like Robby,
and I think the only similarities between her and Hannah are that they both look like
little Indian babies!
Yet, Mallie definitely has her own look, just like the rest of them.
This kind of stuff is so interesting to me! 

Mallie smiled at me for the first time last night.

She looked at me, recognized me…

and her face lit up!

It really made my day!

It’s the little things like that that make each hard day worth it!

We just completed Mallie’s first week of life!

That was quite a difficult week to make it through!

My poor baby wasn’t getting enough to eat, and she was understandably upset.

She didn’t nurse very well, due to a poor latch…

and not to go into to much personal detail, lets just say that I had to postpone 

nursing her because of a ton of pain!

We got her some formula to supplement, and she was much happier!

She just kept eating and eating and eating!

She is now sleeping much better, and her temperament changed over night!

It was very difficult for me that first week, because, well, even before your baby is born,

you tend to feel how that little person will be.  At least, I do.

I felt that she would be a calm, patient little one.  Sweet.  Precious.

But, she wasn’t like that at all!!!

And I was struggling with that, wondering who this little girl was and where she came from!

I also struggled- and still struggle- that because of the pain from nursing,

I had to stop for a time.

I love nursing my babies.

It’s such a personal and sweet bonding time for me and baby.

Bottle feeding isn’t so bad, though, not only because she’s a lot happier,

but it gives Daddy a chance to have some bonding time with her as well!

The biggest thing that I have struggled with, is knowing that she is my last baby.

Growing up, I always wanted to be a mom.  Always wanted those sweet little babies.

I love the newborn stage!

And, now this is the last time that I will be able to hold my newborn.

I wish I could slow down time, and take in every precious moment with Mallie,

and to be able to go back to each one of my babies’ first days.

I have always struggled with depression.  And it tends to get bad after having a baby.

Postpartum depression.  Awful stuff!

I am writing my feelings now in hopes to “let it all out” and get past it as soon as possible,

so that I can enjoy this time, and remember it better.

You know, it’s amazing how much you come to love these precious children of God.

To be able to feel this intense love, and know that it is still only a percentage of 

what our Heavenly Father feels for us… it’s truly amazing!

I look back and remember each of my children at this stage in life,

and I remember how much I loved them then, and realize all over again,

how precious they all are to me.

I am so very thankful to my Heavenly Father for giving me my precious little ones.

I love each of them so much!

~Now for something a lot more fun… Here’s a few of the pictures taken this week~

Isn’t she beautiful?!