#3...

When people ask how Stratton is doing, my answer never seems to change...he's a handful...in almost every way! If he isn't crawling around flushing the toilets in the house, he's eating june bugs at ky's soccer practice or trying to break even more glass dishes in the kitchen than he has already. 

Now, this doesn't mean I don't love him, it simply means that he's a hot mess. When we found out about #3, I remember my mother telling me a story about an older woman she works with who, in a similar situation, had 3 children with the last being a surprise. She told my mom that #3 came for a very specific reason. That she challenged both parents, and the family dynamics in a way that neither of the other children had done. She also went on to say that she brought a sense of joy to the house that was, simply put, priceless, and well worth the journey. The coworker said that she learned more from raising her last born than any other event in life. Whew...that's deep.

When I think about Newie right now...I just think he's a pain in the butt with a silly grin. But I do love the little guy and something tells me he's going to PUSH me to grow in a way that will be different than what I will learn from the other two...and it sure seems like there's a hell of a journey on the horizon!

Ky and Beck were over 2 before they started trying to open doors. This one? 14 months...and he's not far from mastering it...given another half inch...

We laugh that Newie has dishwasher radar. He could be on the other side of the house, but if he hears someone opening the dishwasher, its a mad sprint to the kitchen (and by that I mean fast crawl, let's not get confused guys, its not like he's walking or anything yet..but he is getting pretty close. taking 5 or 6 steps here and there). Not sure what his fascination is, but this is definitely his favorite place to be in the house right now...

Yeah, this seems real safe...

And if the dishwasher happens to be closed, he's totally content going through all, and I mean ALL, the kitchen cabinets...lucky for me, he usually tries to put it all back...