a couple of weeks ago, we celebrated the babe's first birthday! as crazy as this may sound, i reluctantly accept that the infant stage has passed. we now have another cooley boy with a will of his own, full of life, and a true joy to hold and watch grow.

little willem showing off his happy "hello" and his crazy baby head shake during an afternoon of fun with his big brother abel.

willem at 10 1/2 months

now, it is just the three of us at home waiting to pick up the boys:

ollie enjoying friends

here stands abel proudly holding the first tooth that he has lost.

we registered this little man for first grade today. he confidently walked to the designated table and greeted his teacher. what a great kid!

sir willem the smiley one will be nine months old on the fourth of july

recent accomplishments include: scooting all over the floor without actually crawling; mastering this interesting yoga-like position that resembles a downward-facing dog; ramblings with a lot of "da da da;" so many smiles; a few more grunts now that several teeth are emerging at once; continuing to wake mom up 2-3 times a night with pleas for milk (have you seen the size of this kid?); a new nasal, snorting laugh that his brothers really love; and the ability to recognize his name and the sight of those that he loves the most. he really is so much fun! thank you, god, for this amazing gift!

as our summer rolls on, we have found ourselves out on the greenway that runs alongside the river riding with all of the bicycle gear needed for a family of six. the path is great for long rides, and we often stop midway for a picnic at a playground. the kids love it, and i am working toward getting the exercise that i need. we do tend to attract a lot of attention along the way. aidan rides alone. mark pulls abel on a trail-a-bike, and i have ollie and willem in a trailer behind my bike. one afternoon, we ran into some good friends who were out for a ride with their five children. we really were a sight that day, but it was so much fun! we have also been busy with different camps for the kids, vbs, and weekly trips to the library. this week we are looking forward to some time at the pool, visiting with my brother and his family over the 4th, and maybe a trip to the zoo.

this summer is already much different than the last. at this time last year, i was on bed rest nervously awaiting the arrival of the fourth cooley boy. this year i am enjoying willem and trying to create an exciting and structured summer for aidan, abel, and oliver. we have been on several walks, played at a few playgrounds, gone to the zoo, swam, and spent a little time with family and friends. the structure...well, i am still working on that.

in other news, i turn **30** next week. that sounds about as believable as me having a first and second grader. these days have really picked up speed, and i find myself grabbing onto my boys and inhaling each of them just hoping that i can hold these many sweet moments with them firmly in my mind. yes, having these kids creates an incredible amount of work but i truly cannot think of one other thing that i would rather be doing on my birthday than looking at these four faces...so, happy birthday to me! if you would like to celebrate with us, i am trying to come up with some fun birthday plans.