Holidays are coming and iced in

So two of the last things I go to do on my maternity leave was attend Luke's Thanksgiving feast (a first for me! I've never been able to go to this one, just his Christmas parties!) and go visit Santa. (I also realize I never posted Halloween pictures. So sorry.)

 

 

I could tell he was really excited for me to be there at his feast, he kept showing me things and wanting to share his food with me. The feast was on a Friday, which is the day that Elyse's grandparents come and visit her. They stayed at the house with both girls, so I was able to go and focus just on Luke. Not something that happens a whole lot these days.

 

Santa! This is actually the best Santa picture I've ever gotten. Sure Evan isn't really smiling, but Luke doesn't have his scary smile on, and the girls are DARLING in their matching outfits. I had one of the "elves" take a family picture of us before we left. Evan still isn't smiling. Luke doesn't like to stand too close: he's got a rather large personal bubble space. Elyse isn't falling out of my arms, I promise. But I love this picture and the fact that I didn't know Santa had popped into it until I looked at the camera.

 

And I am unashamed to reveal that I put up my Christmas tree well before Thanksgiving. Like, the week before. I've said it before, I truly feel like putting it up actually makes Thanksgiving MORE festive. I LOVE it! The kids were with their dad on Thanksgiving, so that morning I had us do thanksgivings at breakfast before they left. Evan piped up that we should hold hands and say a pray. Luke jumped at the chance to say it, and it included thanking God for being our hero and rescuing us. *cue momma tears* I am so thankful for these sweet tender hearted children of mine and I pray that they always are for the God who IS our hero and rescuer!

 

So, I worked two days last week, and then Thursday night a giant winter storm came in. It went from temps in the 70's to below freezing. Thursday I left work early due to sleet, and when we got to the house that afternoon, we didn't leave again until Monday afternoon. That is a looooooong time to solo parenting. I called it marathon parenting. The kids were troopers though. We watched lots of movies, played, and I got out my sewing machine. I felt bad because in the last few weeks I've actually had several people request sewing projects from me, but I had to turn them down due to lack of time. Plus the cradle is in the spot where the sewing machine used to be, so setting it up on the dining room table has cause quite the clutter. But I needed something to distract me from the bickering that was going on. ;) The only real hiccup in our 4 day entrapment was the fact that my microwave died. Three minutes in to cooking baked potatoes for dinner Thursday night, it just....died. No spark. No funny noises. No beeping. Just.....stopped. Not having the time to properly bake them in the oven, I had to scramble for dinner (pancakes), and have been using the oven and stove ever since. Monday night Dad took me to Home Depot for a new one, and hopefully he'll be able to finish mounting it tonight (yes, it's an over-the-range microwave, which I now know are MUCH more expensive than countertop ones. yay!)

 

 

 

Luke is such a funny kid. I managed to get one of the funny things he said while we were home post on Facebook: "Mom, I don't think I want to eat treats anymore since they don't help us grow. I'll just go ahead and try to eat my chocolate Santa that is up on top of the fridge." And he also tries to boss Evan around. Which doesn't work out very well: "Luke was telling Evan that she could only have one cinnamon roll for breakfast and he could have two. When she inevitably tattled, I tried to get her to see that what he says isn't the final word by gently asking her who was in charge. "Nana's phone." Uh, excuse me? When I corrected her and told her I was in charge, and that I was the one who said how many cinnamon rolls she got, Luke shouts "I'm so cross at you!" Happy day 2 of cabin fever!"

 

Elyse slept a lot through our time (surprise surprise) at home. When we woke up Friday morning to a white world the kids wanted to go out in it, of course. They lasted all of 5 minutes in the cold, especially once they realized it was not snow- just straight ice.

 

Tummy time! When she is actually awake, I do try to make her do a little exercise. My sweet 8 week old is getting so strong!

 

It was cold. I couldn't bear the thought of this sweet yawning girl all alone in the freezing dark. Soooo.... I let her sleep with me. It had NOTHING to do with the fact that this way I also didn't have to get out of bed to nurse her in the middle of the night. :)

 

 

Two of the things I worked on. I put my house shoe next to the quilt top for size reference, and if you look closely I put Elyse's name on the top of it. I bought batting and backing yesterday, so I should have it completed soon! It's made of flannel, something I've never worked with before, and it's my first ever quilt. Exited for it!

 

This cardboard rocket has been in Luke's closet from last Christmas, I believe. I knew it would be huge so I'd procrastinated on putting it up. Well, day 3 made me cave, and the kids LOVED it. Unfortunately they loved it a little TOO much and it made their selfish sides come out. After a couple of hours they were fighting hard core over it. Monday morning I finally had to disassemble it and put the whole thing in time out because I couldn't handing the fighting anymore.

 

Monday this girl finally got a bath. She's done so well lately on not spitting up as much, so she wasn't really stinky and I hated to get her wet in such cold weather. But, Monday I couldn't handle the greasy hair anymore and we just got it done. She smelled so good! But, that only lasted a few hours. Yesterday morning I woke up and she had spit up in the night (which was all in her hair) and then right before I loaded everyone up to go to Cindy's she projectile vomited everywhere. Boooooo.

 

I not only got out my sewing machine, but Monday I got out the camera. These are taken with my phone of the back of the camera, hopefully one day I'll take the time to upload them!

 

And finally....Monday afternoon:

We were free! Not really. It was so stinking cold and still really icy in places, but we busted out of the house with Nana and went to the movies to see Frozen. It was SOOOO cute. I thought it was both girls' first movie, but Ashley gently reminded me later that Evan's first movie was a Harry Potter movie. Where she exploded out of her diaper at the beginning of it and I sat there with poop on me. Only a mom, amiright? Maybe it's more telling of how much I love HP...... Anyway, let the record stand that Luke's first movie was Mama Mia, Evan's was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, and Elyse's was Frozen. That's one for the baby books, eh?



2 year old style

So, my Evan girl is trying so hard to be independent. As much as she loves playing with Luke's cars and planes and trying to roughhouse with her brother (is anyone surprised that Evan is more physical than Luke?), she is a girly girl at heart. Lately she's prone to dressing herself when I'm busy cleaning breakfast or nursing the baby. She also likes to be "a hanson (handsome) boy":

 

 

The problem with her trying to get dressed is a.) nothing ever matches and this OCD mother has issues with that and b.) she ends up breaking her hangers while trying to pull shirts off of them and c.) makes a giant mess because she goes through about 15 shirts before deciding on one. Take note men: it seems being indecisive about our wardrobe choices is just how we are wired.

 

This outfit wasn't too bad I guess. The shoes are different colors (pink and red) and her bow is this terrible one my grandmother got her (she loves it because there is a "jewel" in the middle of it), but she tried. This shirt is one of her favorites because it's pink. Apparently girls loving pink is also a hardwired thing, because I have never ever pushed the pink. You've seen her room, it's purple and green. You've seen her bathroom, it's turquoise/yellow/grey. Yet somehow she looooooooves the pink.

 

Oof. This one made me cringe. Red and black plaid paired with an aqua and coral mermaid skirt. With navy shoes. At least the shoes are the same. And we didn't go any where that day. Besides, her clothes don't normally last very long on her body either. The skirt was ditched after the first potty break, and the shirt not long after due to wet sleeves. She hates getting her sleeves wet, yet I can't keep her from playing in the sink.

 

Believe me, there have been other outfits. I just didn't get pictures of them.

 

 

To go along with her budding sense of style has been her fascination with my makeup. I came around the corner (after cleaning up the breakfast mess) to see this. She'd gotten her stool from her bathroom, my makeup from under my sink, and was trying to apply eyeliner. FYI- she already had on blush and eye shadow.

Not all the things that she tries to mimic from me are quiet so superficial though.

 

She's been known to wear her babies around the house too, and two days ago I looked over from nursing my baby to see this:

 

It's blurry because she was rocking as she nursed her baby, patting her on the back saying "I wuf you sweet baby. It's okay." Oh lordy, I just about died from the cute.

So yes. My sweet, goofy, busy child is very tenderhearted. But she is very curious about everything (hence the 50 million why questions a day) and loves to explore. Like the way she "explored" my hair bands and floss and toilet paper.

 

 

Back at work

Today I am back at work. Not at home. Not holding my baby. Not kissing her chubby cheeks. Not running Evan to the bathroom. I'm at my desk staring at two glass doors.

 

 

The last two nights I haven't been able to stop crying. This morning at Cindy's I held it together until it was time to leave. Then I cried almost all the way to work. At least I was smart enough to stick my mascara tube in my pocket and wait to apply it until I was less emotional. This morning when I woke Luke, he rolled over and said "I don't think I can handle this, Mom."

 

Me either, son. Me either.

I found this hat at Hobby Lobby of all places and I couldn't leave the store without it.

I've tried to look at the bright side- I can do Christmas shopping on my lunch break and not have little eyes watching me. But that's about it. And it's not a very good bright side.

BUT. I realize I have to do what I have to do to provide for my family. It's not fair that I'm the sole bread winner when it's not what I was designed to be, but life isn't fair. It never has been and it never will be. I am blessed with the moral support that I have surrounding me and the fact that I AM able to provide for my children.

The rest of the post is just pictures from my phone from the last week!

We watched several movies in my time off, and I've introduced Luke to the wonder that is hot cider and hot chocolate while huddled under a blanket. It was such a sweet time with him.

Elyse at 6 weeks with my 6 week picture. I keep thinking she looks more like me than people realize, but then when I compare I see she doesn't. There's a family resemblance, but that's about it.

 

It was only a matter of time before Evan realized she could fit inside the dryer.

For about a week straight Elyse blew out her diaper at least once a day. She did Thanksgiving day at Mom's house, and then again the next night when I popped over for a leftover dinner. Neither day had I put her spare outfit in the diaper bag, so both times she had to go home in a blanket. Don't worry. I've put the spare outfit in the bag now (and she hasn't had a blowout since).

Harry Potter night! It was too hot for the blanket, but not for hot chocolate! The empty cups aren't pictured, but their fascination with HP is. Starting all my babies out right. :)

Second part of the last photo dump

I've actually had these pictures sitting in a draft ever since I wrote last weeks post, I uploaded all the pictures the same day. It's taken me until now to finally sit down and type a few words about them. Does that tell you how crazy life is around here?!  And I didn't mean to leave a whiney post about Evan like that. It had been a hard day and probably not the best time to write something. For all the grey hairs she gives me, she does make me laugh. The way she responds to things is so funny. When you answer one of her questions so goes "OooooOOOOooohhhh." or "Das so funny!" Dare I say potty training has even gotten slightly better? Maybe it's because I have learning the beauty of plastic panties over regular ones. They may look like a shower cap on her butt, but they do contain messes!

I can not stop buying them matching clothes.

I wish you could see Elyse a little better, because this is probably my new favorite picture of my three babies.

Gangsta baby: Say what?!

Not only can I not stop with the matching, but I have shocked myself with the darling cheetah print. This was at church one morning. Yes they are identical, and yes I tried to get a picture of them together but Evan wasn't smiling in any. I figured separate pictures pieced together was just as good.

If they aren't matching exactly, they at least coordinate.  

Elyse is becoming slightly spoiled. As she wakes up a little bit more, she doesn't particularly like to be put down and really wants to be held. A lot. Sometimes (like this night) the only way she isn't constantly fussing and I can still get things done is to wear her.

This was Tuesday night at Target while the big kids had their daddy night with their dad. She looked so perfect and pretty and little and precious, I just knew I had to commit the picture to memory for those days in the future when she's two. Acting two.

Evan is 2 and a photo dump

Just a warning, the pictures will not match up with the text. I've got a serious amount of pictures built up on my phone and I've picked about 20 to blow you up with. Don't worry. I'll spread them out between two days. :)

The big thing around our house these days, besides me dreadfully counting down the days till I return to work and making sure my littlest girl is growing, is potty training. Oh dear lord. I don't know anything, I mean ANYTHING, that is quite the beating that is potty training. Evan hasn't gotten down the concept of informing me when she needs to go, so it's hit and miss with me making her sit there. She'll do great all day, and then have three accidents in a row in the evening. At this point, I think the only room she HASN'T peed in is my room.

Crap. Did I just jinx it?

Babies need babies too. (evan was here)

Luke was so easy to potty train. He was 3, and not once did he have an accident. Not even in bed. If I could throw in the towel with Evan and try again later I would in a heart beat. But we are kind at a point of no return. I feel so bad for Cindy in two weeks when I'm back at work and she's stuck trying to remember to take her every 45 minutes or so, and trying to decide if a trip out of the house warrents a pull-up or willing to take the risk in actual panties.

(the hand up. it kills me)

Ug. Did I mention it's a beating?

Oh boy. This guy was channeling his inner old man. And then a few days later he told me he wanted to have lunch at the sandwich shop. He went from 5 to 90 so fast.

This, on top of her very obvious selective hearing. I know she's 2. I know this comes with the territory. But it still drives me absolutely insane the way I say her name fifty million times nicely and she finally looks at me when I get ugly about it. And don't even get me started on her lack of desire to follow directions. Just tonight she was told 4 times to NOT TURN ON YOU LAMP after I put her to bed, only to finally have the plug pulled. So she got the stairs that are used to climb into her bed, moved them to the light switch, and was turning the light on (all to read books). After being told twice to not do that anymore, I finally took the stairs away. Which lead to 20 minutes of her screaming at me from her bed about her lamp not working and her stairs being gone and "I'M SOWWEEE MOMMA!"

Having a sweet moment, I caught Evan "reading" to Elyse.

Can you tell 2 hasn't been my favorite so far? I look at my tiny sleeping baby and just think "She used to be just like this." Alas. Not anymore.

Girl's story time!

Now don't get me wrong. It's not all terrible. She loves to love on her sister (until I have to pull her off because she isn't listening to me ask her to be gentle). She loves to play babies and is the sweetest momma. She's curious to a fault. ("Hey baby, can you move out of the way please?" "Why move out of de way?") ("Evan can you please take this to your room?" "Why take a dis to my rune?") ("I need for you to stop screaming." "Why stop scweaming?") She still wants to rock with me every night, even when I've spent most of the day fussing at her. My poor girl. Two is a hard place to be! And this momma needs prayers for patience. I don't want to be the reason her sweet heart gets calloused.

One Month

My dear Elyse,

You are one month old today! I can't believe that you have been with us for a whole month. And everyone is still totally in love with you. You're brother and sister hang around you all the time- wanting to touch you, hold you, talk to you, kiss you. Your daddy asks for pictures on the days he can't come see you. And me? I wish I had all the time in the world to just sit and hold you. I hate that I don't get to do it more, but my darling....you are the third in line. :)

So what are you up to? Not much still. You sleep sleep sleep. I thought that by now you would be awake a little more than you are, but I'm not complaining. It's a tad unfortunate that you can go 3-4 hours in between feedings during the day and barely make it 2 hours during the night, but I don't mind. You are my last babe, and I'm trying to savor every last minute. You have caught a mild case of the chubs and it's going straight to your cheeks and belly. Just this week I've bumped you up from size newborn diapers and newborn clothes to size 1 diapers and 0-3 months clothes. After three blowouts this week I figured it was about time for the diapers, and your little pant legs were looking a tad high waterish. Paci's are hit and miss, sometimes you'll take it, sometimes you won't. But your spit up, little girl. Your brother and your sister didn't spit up at all, but we are lucky to make it an hour without having to change at least one article of clothing between us. It's made for some epic laundry.

You are so close to smiling at me, recognizing my face.  Your little bobble head is getting so much stronger and steadier. So far the only things you really hate are having wet diapers and being hungry. And the only thing I wish I could change about you is burping. I CAN.NOT. burp you for the life of me. Your daddy has no problem, but for me? It just ain't happening. This leave you with a sore belly that makes you cry sometimes, but we are working at it. You do love your baths and music. When you are fussy in the car, turning up the radio really soothes you. Mostly we listen to the Christian station, but the classical station also does wonders for you. Last night I even turned on a classical station on my phone when you were fussy fussy and it knocked you right out. Hopefully this means you'll take after your momma and really excel in music!


My Leesie girl, I love you so much. A whole month down, so many more to go.  This next month I go back to work (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO), but it also will hold your first Thanksgiving. Yay! Until next month, my love!

Your Momma

There is actually a story to this onesie. When I was pregnant with your brother- about 12 weeks- I hadn't bought anything yet, terrified of jinxing the pregnancy and losing the baby. When I hit the beginning of my second trimester, I finally allowed myself to be excited and buy something. I didn't know whether the baby was a boy or a girl, and it was winter at the time, so I just went in and bought something- this "I love my mommy" onesie. When I got to the car after purchasing, I pulled it out of the bag and just cried. Cried tears of excitement, tears of fear of the unknown, tears of thankfulness for the life within. I just held it up and couldn't imagine anything that small being totally dependent on ME. Well, it turns out that baby was a boy so he obviously didn't wear it. Then when your sister came along she was a giant born in the summer, so not only did it not fit, but it was long sleeved. But you my dear? You are the first babe to wear it. I find it a little poetic-the very first item I ever bought for my baby is worn by my last one.

Week 2 Phone Photo Dump

Here is the second half of highlights from my phone....

 

First bath!

Probably one of my favorite pictures of Elyse. Those eyes kill me.

 

Ashley bought her a couple of newborn sized outfits because basically I had none. They still swallowed her whole.

 

 And then later that day we took a nap together.

 

The headband that Evan picked out for her sister

 

 In non-Elyse news...Luke had his last tee ball game on Saturday and did great! I'm so proud of how he played this season.

Sunday we went to church together for the first time as a family of 4. I promise the big ones were happy to be there, despite what their faces say!

The very very few newborn sized outfits that I had from Evan are little summer dressed. How do you fix that for a tiny fall baby? Layers! Long sleeves and leggings under the summer dress works just fine.