Transformation

Last month we discovered that our parsley plant had been overtaken by little caterpillars. Tyler quickly got attached to his little friends and checked on them every day. It was so exciting to watch the incredible transformation from a caterpillar, into a chrysalis, and then see our beautiful black swallowtail butterfly spread it's wings for the first time. Truly amazing!

The sweetest!

This little guy makes me smile every day. He is so happy, so curious, and so incredibly sweet!

Another little Rockwood!

This is a photo of the newest addition to our family....another little BOY due to join us around February 28th!!! That's right, IT'S A BOY!!! I'll have to admit that after the initial shock at the thought of having four boys, we couldn't be happier and feel so blessed at this time. His older brothers are already so excited for his arrival! I am now almost 17 weeks along and have had a bit of a worrisome time with this pregnancy. At nine weeks I was diagnosed with a subchorionic hemorrhage/hematoma (a bleeding behind the placenta, often caused by a clot). The doctor says that there is not much we can do except monitor it and wait to see what happens (I've already had six ultrasounds!). In many cases these heal on their own but after researching online, I've just tried not to think too much about the other possible outcomes. I've been told to "take it easy" and avoid picking up Luke whenever possible which has been extremely hard. At times like this I wish we could be closer to family but I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends who have been eager to help out. Jeffrey has pretty much taken over in the evenings with cleaning and the bedtime routines. The hemorrhage has gotten bigger since the initial diagnosis so my doctor has decided to send me to a high risk doctor to see what they have to say. We're just praying for the best and can't wait for this precious little boy to join our family!

Preschool....A Whole New World!

Ethan started preschool last week and boy was he ready! He's been so excited to go to school "like Ty". He walked to his room, put up his backpack and lunchbox, and then walked right into the room without a second thought. I insisted on getting a picture with his teachers and then he was off to make new friends. I didn't even get a hug goodbye, which made me a little sad, but I just love the confidence of my little Ethan. He loved his first week of school and was especially thrilled to help me make his lunch each day (probably no suprise to those of you who know how much Ethan loves food!)....the first day he requested....a circle peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cucumbers, some stoplight peppers (green and red peppers), apple slices, a little bit of milk, a little bit of juice, a dill pickle, a sweet pickle, some goldfish crackers, and some fruit snacks. Pretty silly little guy!

The Aquarium

We spent a fun Saturday afternoon at the Virginia Aquarium. The boys loved the huge fish tanks, especially the shark tank! For some reason we couldn't get Luke near the glass, I guess he thought the fish were going to swim right out and get him!

Bristle Blocks

Do any of you remember playing with these when you were younger? I honestly think that this is one of the best toy purchases that we have made. Tyler, Ethan, AND Luke all love creating with these fun bristle blocks. Tyler makes really elaborate airplanes and rocket ships, while Ethan loves to make planes and "machines". They fly their planes through the air, watch the pieces break apart all over the floor, and then start all over again! It's so fun to see what their little minds come up with!

The musician

What will he come up with next?

Girl's Night Out....Boy's Night Out Back

A couple weeks ago I was able to go out for the evening with some very good friends of mine. It was a fun night out with the girls, but definitely a sad occasion. My sweet friend Emily moved away a couple days later and will soon send her husband off on a seven month deployment. I don't know what I'll do without Emily here to constantly make me laugh, but I'm so glad that she can live near her family during this time. We already miss you Emily!!!

Upon arriving home from my night out I found that Jeffrey, Tyler, and Ethan had decided to have a boy's night and camp in the backyard. They even made s'mores over the grill! What a fun night for everyone!!

Tyler's big day!

Our little Tyler started Kindergarten last Tuesday! He has been so excited to go to school and ride the bus. I dropped him off on the first day, took a picture of him with his teacher, and then he gave me a hug and walked right into the classroom. He looked a little nervous but had a huge smile on his face! The boys helped me make a school bus cake to celebrate Tyler's big day. I definitely think that riding the bus is the most exciting part about Kindergarten for Tyler! It's been a little sad having Tyler gone in the mornings but I love hearing all the stories about his day as we walk home from the bus stop each afternoon...he absolutely loves school!