M – Page 2 – Jocelyn Rau

June 29, 2020January 4, 2021

He’s five!

Morrison turned 5 last month, and we just wrapped up his final celebration this weekend. He got Grandma as a surprise visitor on his birthday (our first overnight guest and in-person family member sighting since the start of quarantine/shutdown!); cousins from Ryan’s side of the family came down that same afternoon to shower him with silly string, a bull horn song, and gifts; and this weekend, Grandpa came up for a belated birthday visit. Lucky kid!

Here are his official 5-year-old stats:

Height: 46″ (94%)
Weight: 46 lbs. 1 oz. (79%)
BMI: 15.3 kg/m2 (46%)
Blood Pressure: 98/57

I really could not ask for a sweeter, more pure-of-heart, first-born son. His incredible little smile lights up my life, and he is definitely my mama’s boy. I always start to worry when he talks about sometimes he’s sad for no reason or just feels sad some days or doesn’t like himself for whatever reason (always his eyelashes, oddly) since we have a lot of mental health issues on both sides of our family and I try to be ultra-wary of early warning signs, but thankfully that’s about 1% of his days. He truly is a happy little kid.

Last nap! (they get to stop taking naps when they turn 5)

He made me so proud this entire K4 year, his first year of school. His teachers constantly told me how hard working and kind he was and how he was such a good friend to everyone in the class. There was one special-needs friend in particular who he kind of took under his wing – he always made sure this friend was involved in everything the class was doing, always made sure to help this friend when needed, always went out of his way to make sure the friend was doing ok. This side of him often brought me to tears with pride, because I’d never seen it in action before.

He loves to run, jump, skip, scooter, cannonball into the lake, make art projects like his sisters, play outside, play with the twins (especially chasing through the house, much to my chagrin!), play video games (one of his newfound loves), and ask questions. Constantly. I always try to answer, though, because I know one day they’ll be done. He still loves Cuphead, Star Wars, the color green, and dinosaurs, too.

I like to watch him do stuff, because I really could not possibly love him more. Even when he annoys the crap out of me with all-day chattering and questioning, ha! He is ridiculously smart and has an amazing mind for numbers. The speed with which he does some of his math problems has always astonished me, even before he started school this year. He loves to keep track of sports scores and numbers, which led me to give him the nickname “Stats.”

Happy 5th birthday, my sweet Morrison John! You are a magnificently joyful spirit that I hope never fades. I absolutely loved my half days with you this year with morning K4, and I will miss you dearly when you start all-day school with K5. Never stop questioning, never stop playing, never stop smiling, and I will never stop loving you. We are so proud of you, my lovebug, and we all love you so very, very much. I can’t wait to see you celebrate so many more happy birthdays!

December 8, 2019December 8, 2019

My boy

Morrison has been my little buddy since the day he was born, but it’s shown itself even more this year since he started school. I like to think it’s because he misses me during the mornings while he’s at school, or maybe it’s because I miss him during the mornings while he’s at school.

He absolutely adores playing with the twins, which is the most heartwarming thing I could have hoped to happen when we added 2 more kids to our family at once. There has never been an ounce of jealousy from him or any feeling of isolation when attention focuses on the twins. He jumps in and tries to help in the ways he knows how. Which can sometimes be a little much when I’m just trying to get them to stop screaming, but which are usually spot on. And it’s obvious that the twins love him to the moon and back. The 3 of them chase each other around laughing uncontrollably, and no matter how crabby I may be in those moments, I can’t help but just laugh right along with them. The cuteness is overwhelming. And of course his heart swells when he plays with his big sisters, whom he adores equally as much. He’s the middle.

He has a heart of pure gold. His teachers have told me numerous times how wonderful he is at school, how sweet he is to everyone, and how good of a friend he is. He is particularly helpful with one of the special needs friends in his class, and his main teacher told me how amazing he is with this student in particular – always making sure he’s included and can get to or do whatever everyone else is doing; always helping him in their little groups; always sharing. She thanked me for raising such a great kid and said to keep doing whatever I’m doing, but that’s just it with Morrison. I’m really not doing anything – this is all him and his beautiful little spirit.

He’s one of the happiest, most cheerful kids I’ve ever known. Sure he has his meltdowns and still cries sometimes when he doesn’t get his way or his sisters aren’t letting him do whatever, but in general, he is incredibly joyful. He comes out of their room every morning with a sleepy, “Good morning, Mama,” and a hug for me. Except that one morning after a night Packers game where my daily greeting was replaced with, “Go Pack Go.” I’ll let that one slide. 😉 But he is constantly giggling, laughing, bouncing and skipping around, and his little smile is ridiculously infectious.

He loves school with his entire being. He had no hiccups starting this year whatsoever, and I think it’s because he was already so familiar with the place, having been going there literally his whole life. Now it was finally his turn to get to go in with his sisters, and he couldn’t wait. He comes bounding out the doors every day with an excitement that hasn’t wavered since the very first day in September. I get the best running hug you can even imagine.

He has an amazing knack for numbers that has developed these past couple months. Just tonight he counted to 115 for me and didn’t get one number wrong! He rattles off address numbers as we drive down the street; he loves sports (he just started tennis lessons, too), always asks if there are any games on to watch that day, then constantly updates you on the score of the games; he keeps track of the time on any clock with precision. It’s really impressive, and I’ve taken to calling him “Stats” because of it. But man, for a 4 year old, he is so good. He knows double- and triple-digit numbers, knows some addition and subtraction already, and is always surprising me with how much he knows.

This boy. Morrison John. My boy. For as much as I fully expected a third girl to come out on his birthday, I cannot imagine life without him as him. It definitely wouldn’t be as special as it is now. I love him with every single fiber of my being and feel so lucky to be his Mama.

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!