Sunday, March 11, 2012

What's in a name...

...a lot actually.

I've had a hard time with names every since I started this blog.  Even coming up with a blog name was hard...and I've still never been totally satisfied with the name "Helping Little Hands," but it's what I went with...and I'll continue to use it unless I suddenly come up with something brilliant.

I also hesitated to use our kids' real names for privacy.  Originally I didn't even post pictures with their faces, but gradually I've loosened up.  I've had a hard time coming up with good name alternatives though...especially for child #2 who started out being called "Boy" because that's what he called himself.  Then I moved to Little Brother.  Somehow Little Brother doesn't seem so appropriate now, though, since he is a little brother to only one family member and a big brother to two.

Anyway, instead of inventing another pseudonym for our new baby, I talked to Hubby and we've decided to just go ahead and use the kids' real names.  After all, their names show up all the time in pictures of projects I've made for them, so regular readers know all their names anyway..but I've really struggled to come up with a good alternative

So with the birth of child #4, and after talking with my husband, we've decided to just go ahead and use our real names on the blog.

So from youngest to oldest...


Meet  Anson
Anson is #4 in the line-up of our kids, and our second biological child.  He's proving himself to be a sweet little baby and champion diaper filler.  He likes to be snuggled up warm and tight, and lets us know as soon as he needs a diaper change...he hates having a dirty diaper more than I remember any of our other children.  In typical newborn fashion he spends most of his time sleeping with just enough time awake to eat and make all the rest fall totally in love with him.  Yesterday, he spent a lot more time awake, so we finally got some nice wide-eyed pictures of him.

This is Becca (aka Sweet Pea)
We also call her our Sweetie Petitie because she is so small.  She's almost three, but smaller than a lot of 2-year-olds we know.  She is also super sweet and the most mild mannered of our three older children...although the closer she gets to three, the more she forceful and stubborn (and a little naughty) her personality is getting.  She loves doing puzzles, and coloring and has learned most of her letters and numbers.  She talks up a storm at home, using long sentences and expression...but will hardly talk at all when we're out other places with people she doesn't know.  

Introducing Seth (formerly known as Little Brother)
Seth is our second oldest and second adopted child.  Seth has a personality all his own and is all boy.  He has an affinity for rhyming and can find a rhyme for pretty much any word, and as my husband says, "Not all of his rhymes involve a bodily function...just most of them."  In true brother fashion, he LOVES to get a rise out of his sisters.  When we get time with him one-on-one though, he has a super sweet and loving personality.  He is great at going into long narratives and asking lots and lots of thoughtful questions...especially when he's in bed and supposed to be going to sleep.  Even though he can get frustrated with some things easily, he loves reading simple books and writing his letters.  He's looking forward to going to school next year, and I know he'll do great with the classwork.  He's also the easiest of my kids for me to do crafts with.  He's super careful and thorough when it's something he's interested in and is a champion at carefully working the sewing machine foot pedal to help me sew.

And finally Katie (also known as Firecracker)...

Katie is our oldest and first adopted child.  She's a great example to her younger brothers and sister.  She loves to be independent.  She's an awesome reader, and even though she says she doesn't like to read, she's been known to read whole chapter books in bed with a flashlight in a single evening.  The newest talent she's cultivating is learning to cook and follow recipes.  This works best if she's in the kitchen and I'm nearby, but not right next to her...that way she is free to learn and make mistakes without me freaking out about the mess. :)  Katie is super social and loves to play with friends, and she's tried out almost every sport available to kindergarten and first graders.  She's super loving and thoughtful, especially with her siblings.  Besides loving having Anson come to our family, she was super excited to get a new sister this month too when her birth mom gave birth to a baby girl.  (We haven't met her sister yet, but Katie gets excited every time she sees a new picture.)  This is Katie with the shamrock cookies she made with Grandma yesterday, and as you can see...she's recently lost a top front tooth, giving her a super cute toothless grin.

And of course there is me.

My name shows up all over...but there really aren't many pictures of me on the old blog.  Mostly because I'm usually the one behind the camera.  This is me right before changing into my hospital gown for my c-section to have Anson.

And the oldest in our family is my husband Eric.
He is an amazing husband.  He puts up with my faults (and all of my crafty mess), and I am constantly impressed by his love and patience as a father to our kids.  He teachers me something new everyday and helps me be a better person.  After finishing his PhD in chemistry a few years ago, he's gotten a job teaching high school science, chemistry, and physics.  He loves his job...and it's nice to have him home with us for a few weeks as we transition to being a family of 6.  (And if he looks tired in this picture, that's because he was.)

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14 comments:

  1. Love the names! :)
    They are also completely ADORABLE!

    Thanks for sharing!

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  2. It was super fun to read your post. Thanks for all of your hard work, I love your blog. Congrats on your cute family. :)

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  3. I love their names and congrats on the newest addition! You are all beautiful. :)

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  4. Grandma approves. Now I won't have to remember their "blog names" when I post comments. What a wonderful new photo of Anson! Can't wait to meet him in two weeks!

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  5. I'm glad to finally know your names. :)

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  6. Oh. My. That baby is absolutely gorgeous and....I'm already getting hungry for another one, but that shot just pushed me over the edge. :)

    Cute family and names!

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  7. Nice post! Your baby is just adorable!

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  8. Beautiful family, Polly :) Thanks for the introductions!
    ~Nicola

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  9. Love the names, nice to meet you all ;)

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  10. Congratulations on Anson! Absolutly beautiful family.

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  11. It's funny to read their real names... I'd grown so used to their blog names! But their real names definitely fit them :) And I LOVE that picture of Anson.

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  12. What a beautiful family you have Polly!!!! Congratulations!!!!

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  13. Okay, I'm homesick for you all, so this was an awesome post! Can't wait to meet Anson! --Patti

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  14. I love your husband's shirt!!! - an anonymous fan

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