Oliver is 9 weeks old

Oliver is now 9 weeks old, and is filling out quite nicely.  Look at those cheeks!! I wanted to share this pics that I got of him the other day.  He is such a happy baby, and smiles so easily.  You just have to look at him and coo or smile, and he'll smile back (given he is fed and changed of course).  I took him to his 2month appt last week and he's doing wonderfully.  He was weighing 12lbs 4ozs, and measuring 22inches long.  That puts him in 75% ile weight and 25% ile length!! (I really hope one of our kids, especially the boys get daddy's height and not mine!)

The pics under the collage are of Oliver laying on a crocheted blanket that a dear friend gave to him when he was born.  Thanks Alice!

First day of Spring brings snowstorm our way...

Yep, believe it or not yesterday, officially the first day of spring, and what did we wake up to?? Not sunshine and warm weather...in fact, far from it.  We woke up to cold temps, sleet and snow.  I'm not sure how many inches we ended up getting, but it was coming down pretty good yesterday afternoon.  However, it's not been the fun snow, that we could go out sledding.  We've stayed indoors, and just watched the pretty white blanket of snow that covers everything, except the roads.  It's really wet out, it's been raining today.  I'm really hoping for some warm weather...and SOON!! Would you believe me if I said that Friday we went to the park in shorts, that Dan and I went for a nice jog around the park, and that the kids enjoyed the sunshine?? Yes, it's true. The weather has been crazy, that's for sure.  I remember it was a bit the same way last year though.  We actually had snow into April last year, I think that was our last snow of the year.  Why do I remember?? because I recall dressing the kids in their easter attire, asking my dear hubby to lug out a chair into the snow, and taking pics of the kids in their springy attire in the middle of the snow!! I absolutely love that picture!  We'll see if we have snow for easter this year.  I'm already scoping out locations for another portait session should it be snowy again!

and just because...

here are some pics of the kids....It's been a long time since I did a post of just photos...so here is one! Enjoy!

I'm in LOVE with all three of my beautiful children!  How lucky can I be?

First off, my little princess...4 years 4 months old!

 

I love those beautiful eyes, and her beautiful heart...and all the tough questions she is asking right now...like "why can't we see God?"

Then it's my BIG BOY...2years 7 months old...

He has such a fun personality!

This big boy is talking up a storm.  Half of what he says I can't understand, but he gets his point across really well.

and last BUT not least, my little guy...8weeks old

Look at these beautiful little feet!

He's lifting his head so well!

and he LOVES to smile!! He looks so much like abuelo in this photo it's not even funny!

Look at him...doesn't he just make you melt?? He does me!!

I LOVE this little guy!

Random updates

I really need to come up with better titles, but it's kind of hard to nail something down when I'm just going to ramble about stuff...

So first update...Oliver is in his own space...we have our bedroom back...Oliver is sleeping better...we are sleeping better too...okay, so before you get too excited for us, I should say that "sleeping" better does NOT, I repeat, does NOT translate into "sleeping through the night"  Nope, it simply means that he is going to bed better at bedtime, and after each night feeding.  He is STILL waking every 2.5 to 3hrs to eat, but it's so much easier to get up, nurse, and go back to sleep without having to rock, calm, rock some more, soothe baby back to sleep for 30 to 45mins following his feeding...and then doing it all over 1.5hrs later.

Second update...Oliver is 8 weeks old tomorrow!! WOW!! time does fly!! Over the last week or so, he's really had a LOT more awake time.  So we have been able to enjoy his beautiful little peepers, and his fun personality a lot more!  Katherine LOVES to play with him, although I have realized that I need to be near by because sometimes her idea of "fun" with baby is a bit too rough, or too loud.   One afternoon I found her pushing him in the swing so hard, not to mention that she was almost on top of him in the swing!  Another time, I was startled by a loud "roar" sound, that she was making right in baby's face...poor little guy was WIDE eyed real quick!! And who wouldn't be if you weren't being roared at right in your face.  But the funnest (if I that's even a word) is when I hear her giggling uncontrollably trying to make the little guy smile!  That is amazing.  The love between those two is just amazing.  In the mornings, Katherine doesn't even have to do anything, but walk in the room and Oliver smiles as soon as he sees her.

Third update:  Joshua is talking up a storm. Everyday he is impressing me with how much he is talking, and of course understanding.  Still, he says a lot that I don't understand, but his point is clearly made.  Here is his latest response to much that I ask of him...
     ME: "Joshua, please ___________" (I'll leave it blank, because it applies no matter what I ask)
     JOSHUA:  "I can't!"
     ME:  "Joshua why can't you _______"
     JOSHUA:  "cuz...."
Seriously where does he get it?? Who knows!

fourth update:  Tonight we got to enjoy a fun dinner out with the kids.  We had a busy weekend, and needed something really fun to do and enjoy as a family.  We ended up at a Japanese Steakhouse in B.A.  It had been a long time since we had been to one.  I think the last time was when Joshua was just a few months old.  He was too young to have much of an impression from it.  Dan and I still remember the first time we took Katherine to one of those steakhouse places.  She freaked out as soon as early as the egg trick.  She cried the entire "cooking show" I think.  This experience was so different though, they both enjoyed the show and even Oliver was awake the entire time and sat very quietly in his car seat.  Joshua came out of there saying "that was cool"...and even thanked the cook as he was walking away.  He loved the fire in the beginning, the egg trick, and the onion volcano!  Katherine enjoyed it too, but was most impressed by that initial fire...all she had to say about that was "that's really hot"!! 

And now, it's time for me to hit the sack.  I'd post pics, but all the pics are on the desktop which is in the room where Oliver is sleeping.

Good night!

Inherited beauty

My children are beautiful, inside and out.  God made them perfect!! Each one is unique, and special.  But isn't genetics funny?? the way it works, the recessive genes that get passed on...Katherine inherited the eye color recessive gene; but Joshua did not.  Joshua has those beautiful, expressive, big brown eyes that I love.  Our new little guy?? It's hard to tell if he will have light or dark eyes...but what we can tell already is that all three of our kids share one inherited trait...let me show you.  And I'll let you guess who they get it from!!

Oliver is 6 weeks old now...

The time flies--but I go back and forth.  I can't make up my mind if I think "He's only 6 weeks old"  or "Wow, he's already 6 weeks old"

The little guy is content as can be, of course as long as his little belly is full and his diaper is dry and clean.  He is a delight to have around.  He's integrated into the family quite well, the little guy.  If it weren't for the sleepless nights, I'd say we are doing excellent.  Unfortunately, I have yet to retrain him on his days/nights.  He spends a lot of the day sleeping, which turns into nights that we are up with him, not because he's hungry...but, well, because he slept too much during the day.  It's really a catch 22, our situation.  It's really hard for me to work at keeping him awake everyday, though I do try, simply because I have the other two running around vying for mommy's attention.  So, it works out well for Katherine and Joshua to some degree--little brother sleeping a lot through the day EQUATES into more time and attention from mommy. However, little brother sleeping a lot through the day also EQUALS a cranky mommy who has very little patience throughout the day.  So, you tell me...are they getting a good deal here?? I think NOT!! I think we'd be much happier...ALL of us if Oliver would stay awake more through the day, and sleep at night.  I'm not saying that he's NOT awake at all through the day, just not long enough. Katherine and I are working at it though...we take turns talking to him and playing with him.  Hopefully soon, we will reap the benefits of our efforts!

To update you on the little guy.  I took him in to his 1 month appointments 2 weeks late, seeing as we were all sick when he turned 1 month.  At his 6week checkup he weighed in at 10lbs 5ozs, and measured 21 3/4 inches long. The little man is growing.  He's put on 3lbs 9ozs and grown 2 1/2 inches from his birthday! Amazing!! He's eating well; he's quick at the breast though which is great because I don't have spend a lot of time sitting down with him while my other two kids run around unattended!!  Oliver is smiling so much more these days...he LOVES to watch his sister and gives her the biggest smiles.  She will sit close to his face and "roar" at him, and he just thinks that is the best.   Katherine gets a kick out of making Oliver smile with her silliness.

Our other two kids are doing very well.    Katherine is getting ready to go to school next year.  She is super excited about it, and is so ready.  She's a little sponge and is showing so much interest in learning.  We take every opportunity to teach her, especially when she has questions.  She LOVES to read--or have books read to her.  She loves to color, dance and pretend play. She is quite the athlete as well, she will run around the block without stopping, and asks to go outside to exercise! She plays very well with Joshua, for the most part.  We are working on being selfless, and on being thankful for the things we have.

Joshua is doing so much better with his little brother, and is growing to be a very attentive big brother.  He talks to him, gives him kisses, hugs and snuggles.  I love hearing Joshua say "hi brother" to Oliver in the mornings.  Joshua is talking so much.  I love to listen to him when he is intently telling me something.  He is super animated with is gestures and his expressions as he talks.  Joshua loves his big sister, and looks up to her so much.  He will do, or attempt to do everything that Katherine does. He continues to love and excel in any sport that he tries.  He likes balls--throwing them, kicking them, hitting them with anything that looks like a bat or golf club.  He is tender at heart, and so loving.  We are working on following instruction the first time, and on being respectful with our elders, and our sister.

My day with the kids is fine, there are no real big problems throughout, but the hardest time of my day is AFTER nap.  You would think with rested kids, it would be a good time around here.  Doesn't work that way though! I've gotten to the point where all three kids nap about the same hours--which is good and bad. I get time to myself, which is much needed.  BUT that means that Oliver has a feeding at the same time that Joshua is getting up from nap.  My big guy wants his mommy time after nap, and my little guy wants to eat.  So, I enjoy a lot of synchronized crying at about 4:30 in the afternoon.  Guess, I need to make an adjustment somewhere in the routine.

That's it for now...sorry for the rambling...it's what happens when I don't update in a while!

Venturing out with THREE!

So, for a couple of weeks now it's been just me and the kids during the week. So far, so good! I've made several trips to the doctor with all three kids in tow.  And while those visits have been somewhat challenging, there was one trip I had just not been ready to tackle on my own.  Well, it came down to necessity that got us out the door this morning! We had no bread in the house!! So...off I went to the GROCERY store this morning--just ME and the KIDS!  I had thought about it plenty, trying to devise a plan of attack for when I would have to make the much anticipated trip.  I have to say, it was NOT a planned trip--I was desperate to restock our fridge, especially our fruit and snack inventory.  This morning, after a long night of being up and down with the baby, I got up too late to tackle the grocery on my own before daddy went to work.  So, instead I got the kids dressed, in the car and on the way to the store by 8:20am.  We were back home in time to watch the last half of Sesame Street.  It was plenty early, that I had no problem finding a convenient parking spot--one close to the entrance, and next to a cart return area.  Got the kids out and loaded the grocery cart.  Oliver was nursed and bundled up on the way out, in hopes that he would sleep through the entire ordeal--and so it went.  I put Oliver's carrier in the "kid" seat area of the cart; lifted Joshua into the back side of the grocery cart, and Katherine chose to walk alongside of me.  Quickly after walking into the store, Joshua decided he did not want to ride, but walk just like his big sister.  I pulled the kids aside, and asked them to stay next to mommy the entire time--where I could see them.  I warned them that if they ran off, or chose to disobey, I would put them in the cart and we would have a talk when we got home.  Both agreed that they would listen and obey.  I cannot complain! Our trip to the store was smooth sailing.  Katherine walked alongside me, helping put things in the cart, the entire time.  Joshua lasted about half the trip and then he wanted a snack, so he sat inside the cart--with ALL the groceries--snacking on one thing after another.  It's no wonder he decided to forego breakfast when we got home.  When we got to the checkout line, Joshua was a big helper and put half the groceries on the conveyor belt.  I was so impressed, and proud of my kids for being good listeners and for obeying mommy while at the grocery store.  I sure hope ALL my trips to the grocery store are this way--but something tells me, I should relish this memory!!