Friday, February 28, 2014

valentine's day 2014


We don't usually go "big" for Valentine's Day, but we did a lot of crafting this year.  My mom came by with boxes full of stickers and pretty paper for the girls.  And they discovered the amazing joy that is Glitter Glue.  Glitter Glue is exactly what its name implies:  glitter and glue, together.  Which actually is quite amazing and it means that I won't have loose glitter all over my house for months at a time.  Oh, what am I saying?  I have girls.  We will have glitter all over the house...for...ever.  But what it DOES mean, is that we must glop as much glitter glue as possible on every single art project we create.  It also means that we have already used almost all of it and I need to restock.


Hearts, flowers, love.  This is our Valentine's Day:







I love this little note Laci wrote.


Wednesday, February 26, 2014

three month stats

Noah had a doctor appointment last week.  He's healthy, duh.  As if you can't tell by looking at his sweet chunks.  It's pretty bad that this has become the place to record all the baby stuff.  I have baby books for each of my babies.  Laci's is filled out until about 10 months old (first child).  Mia's and Noah's are blank.  All of their records on here on this little blog, which actually makes it easy sometimes if I want to look something up.  I have plans to make books for each of them from this blog...someday...when I have time.  They will likely be grown by then.

Until then...


Our big boy is 
14 lbs 3 oz (75%))
25" long (90%)

That whole "90th percentile" makes me laugh.  The girls were both so tiny at this age.  Laci was 11 lbs 12 oz and 23 3/4".  Mia was 11 lbs 10 oz and a tiny 22" long.  No wonder she was so squishy.  I can thank the blog for making this information so accessible.  Ha!!

He also had a round of immunizations, and for the record, he was a big cry baby.  I know that seems mean, but even after he was done crying, he continued to complain for a good two hours.  Sorry little buddy, but your sisters are way tougher than you.  But I still love you.  Maybe even a little more because of it.


Sunday, February 23, 2014

today

Just another Sunday family day.  We played outside, explored the yard, built sand castles, climbed rock mountains, ate lunch outside, and sat on the bench swing.  Noah decided he would only nap while being held today, so I held him.  A lot.  I didn't clean anything, or start any projects.  Ryan and I just took care of kids.  All.  Day.  Long.  

It's a wonderful thing to do, and also exhausting and hard.  Just taking care of kids.  Especially little ones, who need help with everything and cry every time something goes wrong and want you to play with them.  I have to remind myself that even though this day seemed to last forever, it really is a short time that they are little.  Someday, we won't be the most awesome people they know.  Probably someday soon.

And now, as they are all asleep in their beds, I'm enjoying the quiet, the calm, the lack of demands.  And also remembering the sweeter moments of the day.  

Mia kissing Noah.  Laci asking if she can tape her artwork to the wall, "But not the window momma, because I know that blocks too much light."  Noah's silly smile and flailing arms when he woke up from his nap.  How I managed to get us all at the table at the same time for dinner.  And when Ryan and I stood quietly laughing around the corner while both girls cried loudly in the bathtub because they got in trouble for fighting over a purple bowl for something like the tenth time today.  











I honestly don't know where I'd be without these people.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

mia talks...a lot



Mia likes to "help" in the kitchen and is always a source of interesting conversation.

Mia:  What's this?

Me:  A potato.

Mia:  I LOVE potatoes.  (Hugs and kisses it). What's this?

Me:  An onion.

Mia:  I LOVE onions.  (Rubs it against her cheek.) What's this?

Me:  Garlic.

Mia:  I LOVE garlic.

And on and on and on.



***



A recent dinner conversation went something like this:

Mia:  This is my baby horse.  (Holding up a small piece of toast.)

Me:  Eat your dinner please.

Mia:  My baby horse needs food.  My baby horse needs food.

Me:  Your baby horse IS food.  Eat it.

Mia:  (Throws baby toast horse on the floor).  What happened to my baby horse?

Me:  Your baby horse jumped off a cliff.  (Yes, I immediately regretted my sarcasm because...)

Mia:  Don't worry baby horse, mommy save you.  (Throwing a larger piece of toast on the floor).

This conversation was probably much funnier in real life.  I couldn't help it, I laughed.  No, I don't want her throwing food on the floor, but she gets an A+ for creativity and imagination.  That's worth a free food throwing pass once in a while.



***


And one final gem:

"I want to be all nakey.  With NO clothes on."  As if there is a way to be "nakey" with your clothes on.




Monday, February 17, 2014

noah | three months



Dear son,

It is both wonderful and weird to say "son," but it puts a little smile on my face. Today, marks three months since you joined our family. I know I've said it before, but it feels like a lifetime ago that you were just a tiny, floppy newborn. Now, you can hold your head pretty well, and you love to flail your arms and kick your legs. You grab at your feet, roll your body in a little ball, and roll to your side. You haven't even tried to roll all the way over to your tummy, and I'm perfectly okay with that. Mobility is overrated.

(Side note:  Since I originally wrote this on the 13th and it has taken several days to get it posted, I want to add that you did, in fact, roll from your tummy to your back on Sunday the 16th.  Multiple times, so it wasn't a fluke.  And your sisters were eager to not only demonstrate to you how to roll, but to also physically help you roll.  You're such a lucky guy.)



This past month, I have been extra grateful that you are generally happy and super healthy. While the rest of us were all incapacitated by the flu, you trooped on, content with what little I could give you of myself. Thank you for being entertained by your wild sisters, general household commotion, and the ceiling fan when necessary. 

I had to leave you with Grammy for a few hours this month to do some bookkeeping work and you took a bottle like a champ. Didn't even bat an eye. I had a feeling you'd be that way. I mean, you're pretty serious about food anyway, I figured the source wouldn't bother you. 

You have become obsessed with your hands. You are constantly trying to fit one or both in your mouth, which makes you a slobbery mess most of the time. You'll take a pacifier if you're really upset, but it's those fingers you really want. Please don't let this mean you're getting teeth, because that's just ridiculous. Possible, but ridiculous. 

You love to "talk."  A lot. And you can get pretty loud for a little guy. Especially first thing in the morning. I love to hold you so our faces are close, and you look straight in my eyes and smile and make all sorts of sounds. I'm convinced you are telling me you love me and think I'm wonderful.



Your sisters love you more each day. Mia is very protective of you when cousin Harper is around, instructing Harper to "Be gentle!" She tries to be your second momma. On more than one occasion, I have turned my back for a minute, only to find you half undressed with wipes and a diaper next to you. Mia insists she can change your diaper for me. She cannot, and is mad when I won't let her. But really, that could be disastrous. You love your sisters, too. I'm sure. You smile when they glance your way and nearly every morning, you and Mia lay on a blanket on the floor together. You kicking your legs and cooing, Mia drinking her milk while patting your hand or rubbing your head. She really likes to put her fingers and toes in your ears, too. I try not to let her be too mean to you, she just has weird ways of showing her love sometimes.



You will learn soon (if you haven't already figured it out), that your momma has a lot to say. Each month, when I sit to write this, I want to keep it short and sweet. Yet, I also don't want to leave anything out. It's quite a predicament. So be patient with me. My rambling is simply proof that there aren't enough words to encompass my enormous love for you. 

Truly, you fill me with so much happiness just by being you. Your eyes (which are currently gray blue with a hint of green) grab me and force me to stop and look at you. It's probably all in my head, but I feel like you just radiate love when you stare at me.



I have studied your little lashes, your fuzzy head (which appears to be growing more hair), your squishy thighs, and your dimpled hands in the hopes that I will remember this time with you always. You are the most perfect little boy I could have ever asked for and I hope you always look at me with so much love in your eyes. 

So much love,
Your momma 
Xoxo







Sunday, February 16, 2014

get outside

Just a few pictures from Friday afternoon when I threw my children outside and told them to "Run, run, run!"  Sickness and rain and wind and cold and laziness have kept us cooped up too much lately.  So, while Noah napped, the girls and I soaked up some sunshine, and ran, and climbed rock hills and sand hills, and found holes the dogs had dug and called them "fox holes," and fought off crazy mosquitoes.  






And it was fun.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

phone blogging...again

I started this post a week ago. It started with a few favorite phone pics from the past couple weeks.  Then, on Wednesday morning, Mia got hit with the stomach flu. Thursday morning, I thought we were in the clear. Then it hit me Thursday afternoon, Laci that evening, and Ryan Friday morning. I use the word "hit" quite literally, since I felt like I was hit head-on by a Mack truck. The illness came and went quickly, but I was left feeling sore and weak and exhausted, with a terrible headache that lasted two days. I sound dramatic, don't I?  Truly, I haven't been that sick in years.  And apparently, I got it the worst because the rest of my family was relatively normal by Saturday.  But me...well, I wanted to crawl in a hole all weekend and just sleep it off.  Ha!  Can you imagine a mom taking an entire weekend off?  Not really possible with a nursing infant.

Today, I was finally back at it full force.  Laundry, dishes, feeding kids, reading books, playing games, wiping crumbs, the whole nine yards. I may have been energized by my renewed gratitude for good health.  So, it is back to our irregularly scheduled program. 

Just some of the many, many phone pics I've been taking the past few weeks. Sorry if there's too many.  No wait, not sorry.