Life with Kids : The Séamus Weekly

Sweet little Séamus has just 4 weeks to go before he is a full blown ONE year old! like how is this actually happening? We are heading on a plane today to go to Ireland and this trip has been highly anticipated for practically a whole year. We cannot wait for Ellie to get to go back to Ireland and to experience it all over again with ALL of our children. We booked ourselves a straight flight from SEA to Dublin and I'm anticipating that to be the best because layovers are absolutely zero fun.

Séamus turned a solid 11 months old yesterday and my heart could burst with excitement for all he is going to get to experience on our trip. These past 11 months have just flown by and I am so excited to see all that he is going to learn in his last month of babyhood.

Sweet Séamus Murphy you light up our lives and we are so so very grateful that you are here.

Eats: pretty much anything that you put in front of him. He still absolutely loves the boob (which is just fine by me) and is loving all of the fruits. Whenever he see's chips and hummus he comes a crawling to eat it all. I don't think there is a meat he hasn't liked and he loves to just shove it all in his face. Most of the food ends up on the floor or his lap but he loves to feed himself and at this stage in my life with three children...I just need to let him do it 😉

Sleeps: sweet Séamus has been such an awesome sleeper this week. He sleeps in his crib practically all night long and I am kind of nervous to see what happens when we have to start bed sharing again on our trip tonight/tomorrow. He has been napping in the car at school drop off and pick up (as usual) and a couple of times I've been able to get him to nap in his crib.

Goes: We've been to Ellie's school twice for different functions. Family picnic day for lunch, with McDonald's in tow. Finnley wasn't feeling very well so she was very clingy, while Séamus crawled all around and Ellie had a blast showing him off to all of her friends. Then again for Ellie's last day of school. We arrived to watch her little graduation and then she convinced us to stay the rest of the day to attend the assembly, go to recess, and see her off to summer break. We also went to a park near our house where lots of fun was had crawling up the slides and trying to navigate the stairs. Séamus is going to be quite the little daredevil trying out all the things!

Does: Séamus is all about the standing and pulling up. He's tried to take a few steps here and there but I wouldn't classify him as walking just yet...he is still quite wobbly. I grabbed out a pair of his shoes that I got before he was born and much to my surprise they fit him! His very first pair of his own moccasins, he is also wearing Ellie's first pair of Moccasins that Finnley also wore. I love having these items to pass down from child to child. He also got to ride my horse, Ragtime, this week before I sold her and she moved to her new home. It was my dream and vision that my children would grow up with her and ride her...while that was not something that Finnley was ever interested in, I have fully enjoyed this spring watching Ellie ride her and now Séamus taking his turn. He absolutely loved it and I'm hoping he continues to love horses and animals so that he'll partake in riding her when we visit her.

Mama: this was an incredibly huge week for me. Ellie graduated Kindergarten and I am so incredibly proud of her. I had so much fun at her graduation celebration, loved that she wanted us to stay the whole day, and to witness her in her school element. I also sold my horse, Ragtime, to a friend of mine. I have so much peace about it knowing that she is going to a loving home and to live her best life but it was also so very hard to say goodbye to her. I have had her since she was a baby, for 16 years, I held her lead rope for her first hoof trimming (and the last one before she moved), I was there for her first vet appointment, I have her baby wolf teeth that were pulled when she was 18 months old, I was the first person to ever sit on her back, and I watched her in amusement as she figured out how to get herself out of pickles with her calm, smart, and intuitive nature. Having her move just before we left for vacation was a huge relief and I think that it is going to help me transition to not having her at home anymore. Now I can put more focus on my kids, my business, and other home projects. I am ready for this new stage of life, sans riding horses, and am looking forward to where this leads me. Ragtime will forever be in my heart and I am so grateful for all of the lessons she taught me over the past 16 years.

(photo by Finnley)

Sisters: my mind is blown away at how much all three of my children love each other. I remember how excited Ellie was for Finnley to be born and join our family, how I hoped that I could raise them to not just be sisters but to be friends, and then when we decided to go for it and do IVF and it was successful with Séamus how I hoped to nurture a friendship between all three of them. Ellie still loves her siblings something fierce, Finnley loves to follow along and do as Ellie says. She even got to participate in lots of Ellie's last day of school activities, she got to sit with Ellie during the assembly, sit at Ellie's table during all the celebrations, and just loves to be involved in it all. I love seeing how they all interact with each other and the love they have. Finnley is such a wonderful big sister to Séamus always being sure to include him and to help out when asked. Séamus is just along for the ride and trying to keep up with them. He laughs and smiles and is just so happy when his sisters are around. It all makes my heart swell so large. So grateful.