Rest of April

Just a few random pictures from April that I never got around to posting......

We had lots and lots of birthday parties for cousins in the month of April and late March. Here we are at Hallie girls birthday party. My aunt Tammy bought Lancey a "prize" his "chipmunk fever". If you have seen the first movie Ian throws a toy chipmunk at someone saying "chipmunk fever". Lance thinks any stuffed chipmunk is now called chipmunk fever. Took me the longest time to figure out what he was talking about every time he asked me if he could have a chipmunk fever, finally I figured it out. Don't know why it took me so long, we only watch the movie at least once a day, sometimes if the boys are lucky we watch it twice in one day, no wonder I am ready to have Alvin take a flying leap.

Katelynn with her grandpa's, I am not entirely sure why I have no pictures of her with her grandma's. Mom and Elaine we need to get on top of that, fair warning next time I see you we will be getting a picture!

Working on that scowl of hers, she's concentrating on how to best achieve the chubbiest cheeks she can get while being photographed, it's working well for her!

Now that her darn cord finally fell off (seriously it took like three weeks for that thing to finally fall off, Lance was getting very concerned) she can now actually get in the bathtub and not just be washed off with a washcloth. She loves her bath now, again I know it's hard to tell with the scowl but trust me she really does love it.

See the Buzz Lightyear watch, it's made a permanent home on Luke's wrist, he looks awesome according to Lance. And I think Luke would agree, he does look awesome.

We had our first BBQ of the season over at my sister's house the other night. Grilled chicken, steaks, pasta salad and oven fried potatoes. Lance informed Teri "this was the best dinner ever", Ter I guess I have a few tricks to learn from you. What I wouldn't give to have Lance tell me one of these nights "this was the best dinner ever", "these potatoes are yucky" just doesn't have quite the same ring to it!

And lastly two random pictures of the boys. Not only has the Buzz Lightyear watch made a home with Luke, this camera has to. He wears it draped over his neck every day, never takes any pictures with it, I guess he just thinks it makes a good accessory.

We buy the fun size bags of chips for Luke's lunches he takes to school, Lance has the daily dilemma of picking out which bag of chip is calling his name the most every day. He stares at the bags of chips like this every day for seriously half and hour. Like father like son, it takes Eric a half an hour at the grocery store to pick out a box of cereal, Lance comes by it naturally I guess.

Treadmill Thoughts

Katelynn is three weeks old, I have had three weeks of recovery time. For the most part I feel really good. She happens to be an excellent little sleeper, we usually put her down around 11:00, when Eric and I go to bed. She sleeps until 3 am, I feed her, and she usually immediately goes back to bed until about 6:30 which is when I get up anyway. This schedule is working out fabulously for me, rarely do I have that heavy eyed feeling in the mornings when you can't possibly imagine making it through the day. What a good girl she is.

My energy is coming back, I am no longer sore so I thought it would be an excellent time to get going on losing all that baby weight. We have a great set up in our office for the treadmill, we put it in the corner facing a small flat screen that you can rotate to be directly in front of your face. It's good motivation to want to get a good workout with the TV facing you directly watching my favorite King of Queens.

What I really love about my half hour on the treadmill, is the random thoughts my mind has while running. You know how your mind can wander at the most wonderful times. When Eric starts tossing around big law words that I don't understand, balancing the checkbook, an occasional talk during sacrament meeting (oh come on I can't be the only one who's mind sometimes zones out during church), but my favorite time to let my mind wander is while on the treadmill. Last night was particularly random and fun would you like to hear what I thought of during my 25 minute run?

I love my time alone, with no kids hanging on me, no husband asking me to run up and grab a diaper, it's a big moment in the playoff game he is watching......I really love my yellow running shoes....yellow is the happiest color, so bright and delightful......Do I want to watch Parenthood or King of Queens tonight.....I should see which one looks better.....King of Queens is one of my favorites, the over eaters anonymous.....Parenthood looks good, but I have it on the DVR, I will watch it later......King of Queens it is......I don't like the new Lagoon commercial song, last years was so much better......I really should dust that book shelf, I hate black it shows dust so quickly....next time I read Twilight again I will most likely be picturing Edward as Paul Wesley on Vampire Diaries......I can never decide who I like better Damon or Stephen they are both so very cute....Oh crap I forgot to buy my nephew a birthday present for tomorrow......I am so glad I have a Pepsi in my fridge for after I get off this treadmill....but then it will most likely defeat the purpose of this workout, but oh well....those sugar cookies downstairs my next door neigbor brought over looked delicious.....should I eat one or be good and let the boys finish them off....

Entertaining how my mind works huh?

I wonder what I will think about tonight......

And a good job to you if you actually read this post.......maybe I am a little tired if I am now choosing to blog about my treadmill thoughts.....

This Week.....

This week has consisted of.......

......lots and lots of yard work. Of course when I say yard work I mean Eric does yard work as I milk my "just had a baby" excuse for as long as I can. Please, I just graduated out of the wearing my pajama pants all day phase, we are now in the barely being able to snap up your jeans phase. I can't possibly be expected to be on my hands and knees pulling weeds, right? Back me up ladies!

This week has consisted of lots and lots of playing outdoors, it's the one activity where everyone is happy and content. The boys can run, ride and jump to their little hearts content, and Katelynn and I can sit on the front porch swing and rock away. Because let's face it, this girl gives her lungs an exercise if anyone dares set her down for longer than a minute. Basically nothing is getting done around here that can't be done one handed.

This week I colored and cut my hair because remember I am in the barely being able to do up my pants phase, which can make a mommy feel bad about herself. A new shiny haircut can usually clear up those blues real fast or at least make you feel somewhat better about yourself.

This week consisted of lots and lots of Katelynn photo shoots. Okay that is not really new to this week, basically every day I have a Katelynn photo shoot. She is the only one of my children, who can't run screaming from me when I come near with my camera. Not to mention she is just really cute and makes for a great model! One of these days I need to post a picture on here of a baby Lance, if you don't see the similarity between these two, you will when you see his baby pictures. She is just a slightly bigger version of him at this age, it's the eyes.

This week consisted of lots and lots of my new favorite snack -- yogurt, granola and fresh fruit. It tastes good and I don't have to feel to guilty when the next morning I can't zip up my pants. Because again in case you missed it I can barely snap up my pants.

And the best moment of this last week was when my grandparents called me up one afternoon wanting to know if I would be home so they could come up and meet little Katelynn. This was the most sweetest surprise, they don't travel to often from their little home in Tremonton. It was all my grandpa's idea after all the rain this last week his farm was too muddy to work in. He said to my grandma "well let's go see that new baby". I love this picture their expressions, the way my grandma is holding Katelynn's little hand, her tiny little body all curled up in her arms, my grandpas hand on my grandma's knee. It's so precious to me and is a photo I will cherish for years. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for coming you have no idea what it meant to me.

Sleep Deprived

I think this might be a sign I am a sleep deprived new mother, trying to shove these keys into my ignition. Took me a few minutes to realize I grabbed Luke's pretend keys and not my actual ring of keys. One day sleep will come again, one day, until then.........let's just hope I can keep my head about me.

A bit of mom randomness

I was making Lukey a lunch today, we make him lunches now....he takes them to school and eats in the classroom with his friends. He walks hand in hand with his little buddies carrying his Spiderman lunch pack. Something so little as making a lunch for your 3 year old and boom it hits you, so many different emotions on the role of being a mother.

Sorry if this post is all over the places, my thoughts and emotions in general are all over the place, so.....

For so long it's been just these two little faces filling my dreams of being a mother. I often wondered when I was pregnant with Luke, how could I possibly love another little person as much as I loved Lance. Lance my firstborn, my little bug, our little fella. My shy, timid, tender hearted Lance. How would I possibly learn all of the tricks and secrets to another little one. Lance likes to be held, as an infant I would sit beside him in his crib holding his little hand as he would drift off to sleep. He liked the security of knowing I was next to him. Lance is calm, he doesn't like huge crowds, they make him nervous, he plays with his ear when he is anxious. He hated his pacifier, but loved sippy cups (correction still loves sippy cups).

But when Luke came along it just hits you...this new little love. You don't love your first born any less, your heart just grows and you make room for one more. They both fit so securely inside my heart, you wondered how you ever managed without this new little one to love and adore. I learned Luke's secrets. He hates to be cuddled and held, we went through an agonizing first month at home with him as I tried desperately to rock him to sleep each night. After all what baby doesn't like to be rocked. Luke that's who. The minute I layed him in his crib to drift himself off to sleep changed our lives. Since then we now know Luke doesn't cuddle. He is loud, and all over the place. He loves food, the quickest way to his heart give him a treat. He can melt your heart with his kisses, and make you crazy with his tantrums.

The last nine months I have had my moments of anxiety, anxiety over a safe arrival of Katelynn. Anxiety over feeling qualified to take on the role of mothering another sweet baby. Would I be able to handle three, I am hugely outnumbered now. Would I ever have time for myself, or would the days all just run into each other running from this place to that. Would I be able to give each child what they need. The roles of a mother can be so daunting and huge at times, the sleep deprivation, the constant wiping of sticky hands, endless diaper changing, fighting to get dressed, tantrums, arguing who gets the red bowl and so on. But then there are those moments each day, just fleeting little moments when you look into the eyes of your baby and they smile that smile that is meant just for you. You connect with them, you know in your heart they were meant to be yours and you are doing the best job you can with them. Those moments that make all those sticky hands worth it, and you know you wouldn't change your role as a mother for anything in this world.

My favorite time of day is sharing those moments with Eric. The one other person in this world that loves and adores those children as much as I do. The one person that understands my worries, and fears for them, because they are his worries and fears too. We talk about the sweet things Lance says, the funny questions he asks " do turtles have feet, because I can't see them". We talk about the crazy things Luke did that day, that at the time made me spitting mad, but later I can see the humor in them. We sit back and admire Katelynn the cute baby noises she makes in her sleep. We discuss who she looks like, Eric's nose, my mouth, Lance's furrowed brow.

I am learning her little tricks, she loves to be held, adores her pacifier. She hates her bath, but loves to nurse. I think she would nurse all day long if I would let her. She likes to sleep on my chest, listening to my heartbeat, it's the quickest way to soothe her. If she is fussy she likes some free time laying on the floor watching the ceiling fans go round and round. She constantly looks perplexed and confused. I have never seen a baby give quite the looks she does, she has perfected her scowl. This time around I had no doubt that my heart would again grow in size to the point where there is three little ones fitting securely inside.

And now I can't possibly imagine a life without her, without each of them. My babies, as different as night and day but each one so special and adored. Life is so sweet.

Mothers and Sisters

Only a mother would scrub your toilets, particularly the boys toilet, Lance has no aim whatsoever.....


Only a sister would spend two hours cleaning your kitchen, we are talking hands and knees scrubbing the floor.....


Only a sister would argue about who gets to vacuum your house, apparently it's everyone's favorite job....


I am enjoying this beautiful, delightful scene with no thanks to myself. My mom and sisters came down this week and cleaned my entire neglected house from top to bottom. I guarantee this is the cleanest it will ever be, I certainly don't go into that much detail as they all do.

And if that wasn't enough my mom brought me new little treasures to put up around my house. I love it when she does this, she takes it upon herself to redecorate things. My house has had a face lift and it makes me happy. How is it that anything your mother touches just looks better?

A happy moment I was paying bills yesterday and came across all of these receipts I had saved when purchasing things for Katelynn. I don't know if I ever mentioned I had this huge fear of her turning out to be a boy and not a girl. I had about 50 dreams of giving birth only to hear the words "it's a boy". Which I would have been okay with if not for the fact of everything I have bought that is plastered with pink. It was a happy moment tossing all of those receipts away, I no longer have a need to keep them....

.....and for the record I am pretty happy she was in fact a girl!

Lately....

I don't do laundry...
I don't do my hair....
I don't get dressed....
I don't fix meals, maybe a frozen waffle....
I don't clean my house....
I don't want to run errands.....

Lucky for me my mom and sisters are keeping up after most of those things for me, not much they can do about my hair situation, but I am okay with a ponytail for the next few weeks.....months. What do I do?

I am admiring a lot of sweet flowers.......

.......eating a lot of fresh strawberries.......

......my boys stay in their pajamas all day long......

........but mostly, mostly I do a whole of baby cuddling and picture taking.

Here she is in her Chipmunk throne as we like to call it, she doesn't look to thrilled about it, however......

Tomorrow real life has to begin again, boys need to get to school, baby girl has a doctor appointment, I may even attempt to do my hair. Someone please tell me though with three children how does one manage to make it out of the house by 8:30 with themselves and all of their children ready to go for the day. I am thinking if I set my alarm for 3 am we just might make it. Seriously any other suggestions as to how to go about getting ourselves into a routine. As for today I am going to enjoy one last day of having the biggest thing on my to do list is taking a nap with my sweet girl, and play Memory with Lance and Luke a few more dozen times.