M – Page 2 – Jocelyn Rau

July 14, 2019July 27, 2019

He’s four!

Morrison turned 4 at the end of May, and it’s so funny watching him become more and more of a real little person every day.

We don’t have his 4-year checkup for a couple weeks, but I’ll throw those stats in here once I have them.

ETA – here are the official 4-year stats:

Height: 43.5″ (96%)
Weight: 41 lbs. (83%)
Head: 51.5 cm
BMI: 15.2 kg/m2 (35%)
Blood pressure: 95/68

He still loves all things dinosaurs, Star Wars, Cuphead, playing with his sisters and friends on the block, helping with the babies, and he’s recently started getting into Pokemon cards. The neighbor boys have been very cute and generous and given him a little stack of them that he treasures.

Four has also been particularly whiny for some reason, and he still loves to sneak out of their bedroom about 75,000 times at bedtime each night. However, his “good morning, Mama” each day after nap, random “Mama? I love you,” running hugs, and snuggles in my arms make up for it a million times over.

He’s starting K4 this fall, and I know he’ll have so much fun being at the same school as his sisters. He knows his ABCs, can count almost to 20 correctly, knows how to write his name, and can write all of his letters and numbers. I can’t wait to hear about the days when they see each other in the hallways.

Happy 4th birthday, my sweet Morrison John! We love you so very much, our first little boy, and we can’t wait to watch you grow!!

June 14, 2018July 8, 2018

He’s Three!

This crazy little monkey turned 3 on May 31, and I seriously think I love him more by the day. And it just kills me that it took me so much of his infancy to really like him. That’s the sleep deprivation for ya…

We had his 3-year well check this week, but they forgot to give me the printout with all his stats on it, so I’ll update this with those as soon as I get them if you want to check back later. But all looked great, and our pediatrician was particularly impressed that he is not only potty trained but doesn’t wear diapers overnight anymore either and that he has no more pacifier. She said it was a dream checkup and wished all her patients were this easy. Go Morrison!

Here are his official 3-year stats:

Weight: 36.6 lbs. (89%)
Height: 39.75″ (92%)
BMI: 16.3 kg/m2 (60%)
Blood pressure: 97/61

He still loves all things dinosaurs, Thomas trains, cars, stinky green, Cuphead, and has recently become a huge Star Wars fan. Every time he wakes in the morning or up from a nap, he comes out of his room saying, “Good morning, Mama. Good morning, Mama. Good morning, Mama,” until he finds me. And I can never not bend down and give him the biggest hug ever when I see that sweet little face come out, fresh from sleep and still all warm and snuggly.

His laugh is infectious, and for as maddening as he can be, there is no one else on Earth who can melt my heart with his eyes like he can. His big, bright brown doe eyes are simply endearing.

He’s clever, he’s funny, he’s smart, and he loves drawing just like his sisters. Hearing the 3 of them playing together outside so far this summer makes my heart swell, and I know we’re doing something right by them. He loves running around with all the big kids on the block with the girls, too, and thankfully they all stay together and watch out for each other, even the little ones.

He’s honestly a great help with the babies, and they could not have ordered a better big brother. These 5 are pretty fascinating, and it makes me happy on a daily basis knowing that they’re mine and my main job right now is just to be with them. Then they’ll turn around and do something infuriating, and it makes me want to pull my hair out, ha! Fortunately the goods far outweigh the bads.

Happy 3rd birthday, sweet Morrison John! We love you so, so, so, so much, my little lovebug! I hope you always stay my sweet boy.

April 1, 2018

Overnight giant

My sweet, sweet boy, the first of 3;

Words can scarcely describe what you mean to me.

A big brother now, and so great from the start,

You love those little twin boys with all of your heart.

You help and you hug and you kiss and you smile;

You calm them with pacifiers, even when it takes a while.

I taught you not to get frustrated and scared when their crying won’t cease;

You just walk away then return when they can settle with ease.

Your eyes are so bright, young mirrors of my own;

The resemblance to my dad and grandpa just strengthens the more you have grown.

Your questions seem endless, “Mama this or that…” all day long,

But I always will answer to help build your mind strong.

You love choo-choos and cars, dinos and robots, too;

Cuphead, rag, and Elly are never far from you.

You’ve given up diapers, it’s undies now all day long;

Last night your plug went to the fairy and you’re being so strong.

You said you missed meh-meh (pacifier) when you were sleepy today,

But Daddy and I said how proud we are of you for giving it up and that was totally ok.

You’re such a feeling little boy, with emotions in view;

Don’t ever change that, it’s important for you.

You laugh, you cry, you get mad, and you love;

You snuggle into my neck before your nap and you fit like a glove.

I told you that’s how I know that you’re mine, your head nestled into me;

You’re my sweet little boy, you fit perfectly.

3 books we read before your nap most every day –

Snake, Monsters 1-to-10, and Fruit Loops, and all their words you can almost say.

You play with an ever-rotating set of toys, listen to “Twinkle Twinkle” for your nap, and build with your blocks;

You set up coffee and tea parties then fly around the house, sliding in socks.

“I love you, Mama,” “Good Mama,” “Good name-everyone-in-our-family” are your favorite lines.

“Good Morrison” is my constant reply.

You’d follow your sisters to the end of time,

Running and playing and chasing outside.

You fill my heart, my sweet little boy;

Sure, sometimes I shout, but it’ll never outweigh the joy.

When we got home with the babies I swear you had grown overnight.

You looked like a giant – how could this be right?

You had always been my tiny boy,

Now here you were, dwarfing your little brothers as if they were toys.

But your place is just perfect, number 3 in the line.

Little brother to the girls, big brother to the twins, and you’re doing just fine.

The ties between you 5 have formed an unbreakable bond.

I love you so much, my sweet Morrison John.

June 7, 2017June 7, 2017

He’s Two!

One week ago, on May 31, Morrison turned 2 years old. 2!! He still seems like a total baby to me, but 2 just sounds so much older. I have a feeling I’ll probably think of him as a baby for quite a while.

He’s such a funny little kid and has the most charming personality. He always tries to make people laugh and feel better, and even when he cries, he cuddles in and gets all snuggly when he calms down.

We had his 2-year well check last Friday, so here are his official stats:

Height: 37″ (98%)
Weight: 30 lbs. (73%)
Head: 50 cm
BMI: 15.4 kg/m2 (17%)

And of course, poor kid, I completely forgot to do an 18-month post for him. Geez! Terrible mother. Here are those stats, just because I feel bad:

Height: 34″ (90%)
Weight: 27 lbs. (82%)
Head: 48.5 cm
BMI: 16 kg/m2 (47%)

At least that makes it easy to compare and see how much he’s grown in just the past 6 months!

He loves Thomas and all the choo-choos, especially Percy. He adores his big sisters and would follow them to the ends of the earth. He still craves his plug, but we’re working on making that only for naps and nighttime (again!); he’s actually gotten very good about giving it to you when you ask for it or throwing it in his bed if you tell him to. His favorite snuggle toys are Ellie the elephant and a rag; any burp rag will do, even if it’s getting a little stinky. He likes to color, especially when the girls are working on their own art projects. He loves dinosaurs and has quite the collection going. Oddly enough, he also loves to play with little erasers with characters on them and has an entire bag full of them.

He runs, he jumps, he plays, he shouts, he laughs, he hugs, he kisses, he cuddles. He has surprisingly good manners for a 2 year old with please and thank you, he is quite a good cleaner upper, he comes running for a kiss when he gets hurt, and he hates hearing sirens. He makes an overhead zooming noise for airplanes and has a whole repertoire of animal sounds. He loves to do things on his own, but he never hesitates to come to you and say something is “tricky” when he can’t get it. He knows some shapes and colors; always chimes in to help you count; and loves to sing “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Twinkle, Twinkle,” and “Happy Birthday.” He’s a dancing machine.

He loves to stack and build. Yesterday he put together a wooden train track he got for his birthday all by himself. He’s great at manipulating toys and things, and I get mesmerized watching his little hands work. His independent play is so good. He would stay out in the backyard playing with toys and their new grill set and food for hours if I’d let him.

His words are getting pretty good, and you can usually figure out what he’s trying to tell you. He’s still a great eater, using his silverware like the big kids. He’d probably live on Goldfish crackers if he could. He naps every afternoon with Lana, and they love that all 3 of them are now in the same bedroom. He goes to bed around 7:30 and usually sleeps until somewhere in the 6:00 hour; it never fails that he’s the first one up in the mornings, though. He wears 24 month or 2T clothes; size 5 daytime diapers and 6 overnights with a liner (pee pants!); and size 8 or 9 shoe.

One not-so-great thing is that he’s started crying when it’s time to go to bed in the past couple days. Naps and nights, which is so much fun. Sometimes he wants his sisters, sometimes he wants me or Dada, sometimes he’s just being crazy. Who knows. I really hope this remedies itself soon, because it drives me nuts. But for as much as his cries grate on every fiber of my last nerve (especially when he throws his tiny tantrums for not getting his way), watching him calm and sleep fills my heart to overflowing. It’s angelic.

Since I missed his 18-month post, you are in for a treat today – 2 Goonies comparisons! The first one is 18 months – Della, Lana, Morrison; and the second one is 2 years – Della, Lana, Morrison (Della’s is actually from the day before her 2nd birthday, her last day at day care and my last day of full-time work at Stark, but I thought I’d follow suit of the pics of the other 2 sitting on my lap for their birthday pics). The comparison pictures are really small, but you can click on each one to expand it for a better look if you’d like.

If you’d like to read some comparisons, here are Della’s 2-year post and Lana’s 2-year post as well.

I know this sounds ludicrous, but I still find it amazing that we have a little boy in this house. Yes, it’s been 2 years, but this tiny person is still a wonder to me. We love you so much, Morrison John. Happy birthday, and many, many more, my sweet boy!

January 6, 2017January 7, 2017

This kid

You wake inconsolable, your up-from-nap cries sounding alarm.

Nothing can soothe you today, not even the warmth of my arm.

We get your milk cup, settle down on the couch,

But your little body won’t calm, not even a slouch.

Your sobs wrack your body, tears stream down your face.

Your pacifier makes slobber rain all over the place.

I snuggle you close, wrap my arms ’round you tight;

The cries start to cease, slowly giving up the fight.

Finally you breathe, leaning into my chest.

My mind slows to ease you down; Mama knows you best.

After a minute I can see the fear starts to return.

I don’t want the cries to come back, for just that I yearn.

The chipper truck is outside; we can hear it on the street.

You want to go see it; I’m back on my feet.

We watch out the window, your tiny blinks on my cheek.

My arms are your strength whenever you’re weak.

Your little head pressed firmly against mine

Makes me want to stand there forever, wishing I could stop time.

Soon Lana comes out, awake from a nap of her own,

And you’re now willing to get down, stand on the floor where the sun has just shone.

Baby fingers go back to carrying Shopkins around,

Placing each one in a line on my lap, barely making a sound.

Your peace is restored, no more tears on your face.

I’m grateful for that quiet moment with you in our own time and space.

October 24, 2016October 24, 2016

M 15 month stats

Seriously? I can’t even believe how late I am for this post, and that’s saying something, seeing how I haven’t been “on time” for a post in about 4 years. Morrison turned 15 months old almost 2 months ago! In all fairness, we didn’t have his 15-month well check until he was almost 16 months old, but still! That was nearly an entire month ago. Ah well, here I am now.

Here are his official 15 month stats:

Weight: 26 lbs. 2 oz. (86%)
Height: 33″ (92%)
Head: 49 cm (93%)
BMI: 17 (68%)

This one. He just keeps getting better and better. And I feel like such a monster even saying this, but I make a daily pact with myself to not get mad at him for no apparent reason. Because I found myself doing that. A lot. And I hated it. He didn’t deserve it; he just always happened to be in the way of something I was doing at that particular moment and really wanted to get done, but being his mama is what I really want to be doing. So I made myself stop being so selfish around him and remember that he and his sisters are what truly count. My time with them will never come back, and I needed to stop being rotten and love them better. So I am.

He smiles. He laughs. He hugs. He kisses. He snuggles. He runs. He chases. He helps. He plays. He creates. He does. He is. He amazes. He shines. He lives. He loves.

It is so fun watching him grow up as this little tiny man. Obviously being 100% used to raising little girls, seeing this one come barreling through life is pretty spectacular. For as crazy and silly as he can be, he honestly listens to you and gives the best snuggles imaginable. He grabs my arms and neck in bear hugs that melt my heart into a giant puddle that fills my entire soul and being. And he now does this thing where I swear he’s pretending to eat my face. Probably because I am constantly nuzzling and kissing his entire head. I just can’t get enough.

I cannot tell you how many people have said, “Oh, a little boy. Just you wait!” Or “Get ready for boys!” And I really can’t stand it. He is being raised no differently or given any different attention simply because he’s a boy instead of a girl. And I honestly haven’t seen a whole lot of difference in the genders so far activity-wise, attitude-wise, whatever-wise. You’ve met Lana, right? Ok. Enough said.

He still loves his plug (pacifier) more than life itself, which I have been unable to rectify so far, but when his face isn’t plugged up he’s actually quite the little chatterbox. Here’s a list of some of his current favorite “words”:

Bucky (buh-buh)
Excuse me (kind of a “coo muh” sound)
Ding-dong (dih-daw)
Pumpkin (puh-puh)
Lana (ya-ya)
TV (dee-dee)
Please (mee with the sign for please)
Baby (ba-buh)
Football (very similar to Bucky, buh-buh)
Elmo (bah-bo)
Cookie (as in Cookie Monster – dee-dee)
Banana (na-nuh)
Choo-choo
Goldfish (go-go)
Nigh-night
Poop (poo; and he likes to point to his diaper and nod his head when I ask him if he’s pooped in his pants)
Knock-knock (while knocking on a door)
Giving his cute little sideways grin when I tell him to do his “crinky” face
And of course he’s been saying Mama for a long time, usually screamed at the top of his lungs
Singing – whenever we start singing, especially “Happy Birthday,” he actually starts singing along with us. Not with words, but with tone. It’s so cute!

For the posterity stats, he’s in size 12-18 month clothes, but that’s soon to be pretty much all 18 months when I rotate his dresser and put in all the cold-weather clothing. Size 6 or 7 shoes. Size 5 diapers, both daytime and nighttime. And since we’re out of comparison photos, here is Della’s 15 month post (Lana didn’t have an update until 18 months, so stay tuned!).

My little lovebug.

June 23, 2016

He’s One!

Morrison turned 1 year old on May 31, so this post is extraordinarily late. However, I just realized the other day that we didn’t even have his 12-month well check until June 15, then I forgot to get the sheet from his doctor with all his stats on it so have been waiting to receive that in the mail, so I didn’t even have all the info I wanted to put in here anyway to write it earlier. So there, I feel better about that now.

Here are his official 12 month stats:

Height: 31.5″ (93%)
Weight: 23 lbs. 5 oz (76%)
Head: 47 cm (72%)

There honestly isn’t a whole lot of new stuff to report since his 11 month post (including the posterity stats and sizes), so I’ll just fill this one with pictures. His walking is great, he now loves to scream with excitement (literally. he is so loud!), he transitioned to a little Thermos sippy cup for all of his milk except a bedtime bottle with ease, he’s enjoying playing outside in the summer weather just as much as his big sisters, and he is becoming more and more of a funny little person every day.

As a new twist, here’s a month-by-month look at this little guy’s first year. And then the usual Goonie trifecta, along with Della’s 1 year post and Lana’s 1 year post. Sorry for the really poor quality of these collages; I’m not sure why they’re so blurry this time.