Me and My Big Sister

I have a lot of people I get to look up to. One of my favorites is my big sister, Faye. She's really cool. She's really good at getting my binky for me and throwing my diapers away for Mom. She also likes to play with me and show me how toys work. One of her favorite things to do is pick out what I'm going to wear. When she does, I end up wearing a lot of pink.

Today, Mom weeded her flower gardens and Dad took Sam to learn how to ride his bike (which he did). While they were all doing that, Faye took care of me in the grass and we had a tea party. We played and laughed and had a great time. When Dad got home, he took Faye to learn her bike (a work in progress, apparently), so I took a nap (one of several through the day).

Such good times...

Today - I'm Five Months Old Tomorrow

This post will bring us up to snuff. Before I tell you what I did today, I have to tell you what I did yesterday. I ate. Real food. Kinda real food. Baby food rice cereal. I love it! It's about time I got that spoon in my mouth. I've been watching all those other yayhoos do it long enough! I know how it works: put food on spoon; put spoon in mouth. Duh. It's not a rocket science.

So what'd I do today? Pears. Home canned (thanks Matt and Christine). This eating thing is a breeze.

BFF

This is Amelia. She's my cousin and we're practically the same age. Well, she's ten months older than me. BUT, two months out of the year, we're the same age. She's been teaching me how to play with the toys she passes along to me. She also hugs and kisses me and she's very gentle. I like to hang out with Mills...you know...just chill sometimes.

Lake Chelan

There's a tradition in our family that dates back to when Mom was 2 years old. Actually, later than that because Papa and Bunga used to go and take Dad and his brothers even before Mom was born. Lake Chelan. Summer at the bluest lake in Washington. This was my first year and yeah, I slept a lot, but I also swam and went for walks and played with my cousins. That's what Lake Chelan is all about - cousins. I even played at the water slides. I didn't go down them, but Sam went down every one and Faye went down a whole bunch all by herself. I will too, when I'm bigger.

Dad has way better pics, so I'll upload those when I get a chance. (I'm really very busy)

Summertime

Sam and Faye finished preschool and a few weeks later, started summer camp. It's awesome! I get to have Mom all to myself and they get to play and make new friends. Sometimes they don't go and we all get to have a field trip. But usually four days a week, we take them to the church, hang out with Aunt Pat for a bit and then have adventures of our own...or just go home and play and take a nap.

Who Am I?

At first, people said I looked like Faye. Except for genetic similarities, I don't. I may look a little like Sam, but mostly because of my eyebrows and dark hair.

I look like my mom. That's her in the pic, not me.

As to who am I...I'm me.

My First Vacation

I obviously lead a very difficult life, so a vacation was in order the beginning of June. We went to Harrison Hot Springs in Canada. It's a great place for kids with pools, the lake, comfortable rooms...we love it. I was a world-class traveller - smiles and sleep in the back seat. Sam and Faye entertained me when I was awake and the rest of the time...smooth sailing. It was raining and not very warm, but the hot springs pools were still fun and we had a great time.

Much needed relaxation.

Quick Status Report

Sometime between three and four months old I started to sleep "through the night". I sleep all the time, so I don't get what the big deal is. I go to sleep around 9, join Mom around 5am (still sleeping) and wake up around 8:30. Best Baby.

At my four-month appointment, I weighed about 14lb and was about 24in. I was also just days from rolling over. That was when I started talking quite a bit. Lord knows Sam and Faye jabber on enough...seems like I should get a word in...

I also did a lot to help finish the basement. It's done now and Sam and Faye live down there and I have my own room! It's so clean...

Friends

You know I have lots of family, but did I mention I have tons of friends? I have to take more pictures...

Sleeping and Growing

I spent the next few months sleeping and eating. Mostly sleeping. Mom gave it all she had with the pump-thing, but eventually said forget it and now I'm about an 80% formula kid....and we love it. I grew a whole bunch.

I don't get to have my own schedule much since I have to go where ever Sam and Faye have to go. I sleep when I want and eat where ever we are. I do both without any gripe and after a couple months, my only response was a smile. Yep...I'm the Best Baby.

I'm Only Kinda Little

At one month early, I managed to weigh in at 6lb 15oz and was 19 1/4 in. Good thing I didn't cook any longer! I guess you're supposed to start eating right away, but guess what I wanted to do - SLEEP. Mom kept waking me up to try to eat, but there wasn't much there and sleeping was so much better. After a couple weeks I weighed 6lb, 3oz and my doctor said Mom wasn't making enough and to bring on the formula. About time! I was starving! My skinny little legs were cute and all, but c'mon - some chub looks good, too!

Before and After

Yep. That's Mom the morning of her contractions. Thanks Aunt Heather for capturing that image forever. I made Mom HUUUGE. Although, she keeps talking about nachos, ice cream and cereal. Whatever...I'm healthy.

I'm backtracking here a bit to catch up the last five months. It only just occurred to me to do this (what with being only five months old and all), but this seems a better place to share than someplace as impersonal as facebook. My real friends may want know what's going on with me more than friend-collectors may. (ok...not the place for this soapbox)

How All This Started

I'm Lucy. I'm the third Hostetter kid, but only the second batch. So, I'm not sure if that makes me second or third. Third, obviously, but if you read all that crap out there about who you are in the order of the kids in your family, it puts me in kind of a strange place. The second kid is supposed to be easier because the parents aren't all freaked out about safety and what they're "supposed to do." That's been true so far. Or it could be because I'm so easy. The third kid gets left on their own - sort of to figure things out because the parents are so busy with the other two. And the other two are supposed to watch out for the third because they're older and more mature...right. That's all true, too, so far.

I'm Lucy Ann. "Lucy" after two great literary characters (thank you Clive and thank you Pete). "Ann" after my Gramma Carol (aka Bunga). I also share "Ann" with my cousin Sydney, and "Lucy" is the name of one of my great-great-grammas. I was born on February 28, 2010. Thank goodness it wasn't a leap year and I wasn't born a day later. I decided to come out a month early. Mom doesn't like to be pregnant for too long (apparently, she gets a little grumpy), so technically (according to "them"), I'm a premmie, too - just like Sam and Faye, so nobody's special in that department in our family.

I don't have a big dramatic birth story. Mom started contractions when she woke up in the morning, made breakfast for everybody, Dad took her to the hospital, they watched the last of the Winter Olympics, I came out around 5:45pm and we all watched the closing ceremony. Sam and Faye came to visit the next morning and the next day, we were all joined up as a happy family of five.