Feast Days and Half Birthdays

Happy Feast of the Guardian Angels!!

My mom instilled in us a love for our guardian angels.  When she was a girl, she used to sit on only half of her seat to leave room for her guardian angel to sit.  I always grew up knowing I had a strong protector by my side, and knowing that has helped me through so many times of feeling lonely or scared.  When I go for a run outside, I pray that my Guardian Angel (who I named Gabriel as a child) makes his buff appearance visible if there are any scary situations awaiting me.  When I'm pregnant, I love knowing there are two angels with me all day long. When my kids are scared, I remind them to take comfort in their angel's presence.  We are so lucky to have these gifts from God with us all day everyday.  After Sarah's passing, I heard that her husband's workplace had assigned someone to always be with him so that he wouldn't be alone in such a difficult time.  That's what God does for us every day.  How caring and loving!

Ok, enough drooling over the angels, how about a drooling baby who turns 6 months old today! 

Who me??  Couldn't be!

Insert cliches about babies growing up too fast, because holy cow, these past 6 months of this 6th baby's life have flown.

Declan Kolbe is learning how to sit and scooch along a bit...

He's eating cereal and veggies, and loving it!  Carrots and peas for the win.

He has had 2 little teeth since 4 months old, but is still deep in the teething troubles, so we're thinking those top two are going to pop in any day now.

He smiles at everybody all the live long day.  Just as happy as a clam.

Always with the tongue.

The big kids are so great with him, and still (after 6 months) argue over who gets to hold him and help take care of him.  I wish all babies came with older siblings, it's a wonderful thing to see.

He "sleeps" in a big crib in a bedroom with Alexander.  I say "sleeps" because he wakes up a bunch through the night because he's hungry or needs his pacifier or his teeth hurt or he's peed through everything...again.  But it's ok, we know babies don't keep and this too shall pass and all those other nuggets of wisdom.  It's so much easier to see the big picture when you've been around the block a time or six.

Dad gets the best laughs out of him by tickling his feet, and the kids are convinced that Declan says Dada.  Whatever, I just carried him for 10 months, pushed him out au naturel and fed him with my body for 5 months...he's going to say Mama first ;)

In any case, we'll keep him.  He's honestly been our happiest and easiest baby ever, which is perfect since our lives are so crazy busy right now.  God knew exactly what we needed!  Happy Half Birthday D.K. and Happy Feast of the Guardian Angels everybody!