Auntie Colleen Visits

Craig was our photographer and just captured some silly sister and mom fun!

This was a riot! Sorry Colleen, had to post it!!!

So we almost broke the slide!

Auntie lovin on Alayna

My Auntie is so much fun!!

Auntie and Collen jumpin in their jammies!

Going for a walk to the pond

Wrestle time!!

Auntie lovin Laura

We didn't tell Bradley Colleen was coming until he seen her at the airport!

Waiting for colleen

We loved having Auntie Colleen come visit us for a few days this past week. The kids love attacking her and rattling her world. She leaves everytime with some kind of bruise or another. I just know she secretly loves being beat up by her niece and nephew. HA!! We really didn't do anything major, just sort of hung out, but we enjoyed that. Her and Laura had developed quite the little bond. Everynight her and Laura would fall asleep together until someone would peel her off of her chest. I can't wait until she's a mommy for herself so she better get on the ball. I think spending time with Laura put the itch under her skin:)

On my own

As I sit here writing I am officially on my own with my three babies (day 2). Mom left Sunday and we had the most incredible time with her. It was the hugest blessing having her here and quite honestly don't know how I would have done it without her. Yesterday (Monday) was quite tough and emotional. I never did get ahold of myself until later in the evening. I sort of felt like my emotions were under attack if that makes sense. I was so used to everything running smoothly and things just getting and being done every step of the way for a month. I appreciated everything mom was doing and knew she was doing alot, but until I was on my own I didn't realize just how much and really didn't mentally prepare like I would normally do. Every i was dotted and t was crossed and she did more than I would do. Dishes would just get done. Beds were always made, kids were always dressed first thing, laundry was always caught up. A great big thank you to you mom for all you did while you were here!! It probably didn't help either that Laura had an off night and didn't settle very well after each feeding like normal so Monday hits and she was extra irritable and I was so tired I was borderline hallucinating. I tried to start the day normal trying to do it all and tried to take a shower while the two big kids were in the playroom which is normally no big deal. All of a sudden Bradley runs in and tells me Alayna was in the fridge and peed all over the kitchen floor so I find myself rushing down cleaning up pee and crying at the same time which in turn made Alayna cry. The baby was screaming too. Alayna then sort of stops crying and says to me "don't cry mommy, why you cry mommy...it's ok baby girl she says, do you want my nuky?" I cry harder and by this time Bradley is discusted and says, "why am I the only one not crying?" Things like this don't normally make me cry, so I knew it was fatigue and hormones totally out of wack, but it still didn't help me reason with it. Sue calls in the mix of it all and that sweet friend immediately says "I'm on my way!!!" She comes to the rescue and starts buzzing around like a little bumblebee and makes us lunch, makes me laugh, cleans up lunch, makes me laugh more and then puts Alayna down for a nap and then takes Bradley home with her so I can take a nap, Wow!! She just left it all to come to my aid. A great big thank you to her for helping me on my first day alone. Today has gone so much better and today I'm a good kind of tired if there is such a thing. In other words, I feel more like myself. I'm sure this week in general will be the hardest until we get back in the groove of "normal life" As John and Kate say..."It's a crazy life, but it's our life" So Craig and I have adopted that saying for ourselves.

First Few weeks at home

Just wanted to get caught up once again and get some pictures up of our first few weeks at home with Laura and then I'll catch up again on the latest few weeks. Can't even believe after all this time we never got a pictures at home of all 5 of us yet while there was always someone to take the dumb picture. Gotta get out the tripod now. Oh well!!

Everyone is adjusting pretty smoothly to having a new little life in our house. I don't think I'll adjust to the lack of sleep but I'm sure hoping it's short lived. We couldn't be more in love with this baby. You don't love your children one more than the other, but each one captures your heart in a different and unique way that creates a special feeling and bond in their own unique way that you just can't always put words to. Overall, she has been the quietest and least demanding at this stage and most mild. She's had some off days and nights here and there, but overall she's been quite the content little one.

Alayna didn't pay her much mind in the beginning other than an occasional kiss or she'd say "I love my baby sister Laura". I was holding my breath as I thought it could go either way with her being jealous and we didn't sense that she was in the beginning at all. However, as time goes on we are detecting some changes in her as she has peed her pants a few times and will quietly sneak into a room and shut the door and do something mischievious which hasn't happened to that degree in awhile. She would be caught either pulling all her clothes out of her dresser or get into my make up and was caught digging out all my eyeshadow with her finger. It was a different twist than before so I'm thinking that's her way of getting attention. Bradley has been great with all of it. A few little things here and there, but not anything major. Just a few things that seemed a little off at times or things that weren't quite him and times when he just wouldn't listen like he should, but those times happen regardless. We've been off our normal routine and I'm sure they both know and sense that. He just always wants to hold her and touch her and feed her. He's had a chance to give her a few bottles which is a great help and he's enjoyed that. Overall, he's an awesome big brother and through all the changes I'm so proud of him.

These are in no certain order, but these are some pictures of the first few weeks of special times and visitors at home. A great big thank you to all of you who have called to check in on us and have come to visit and either stopped by with gifts or meals for our family. We appreciate it more than you know.

Daddy and Laura

I love this picture!!!

Me and my three!

Sue and Laura
Katy and Laura

Michele and Laura

Kiki and Laura

Ms. Sue and Laura

Jenn and Laura

I know this looks so pathetic, but she really did like it. Her first little bath in a bowl.

Laura, Jayne and me

Two sisters

Mommy's girls

Daddy giving Laura her first bottle

3 little girlfriends...Laura, Alayna, and Maddie

Precious time with big brother

Napping on Mommy

This was right before her 1 weeks Doctor appointment and we were getting her bundled up in the adorable little snowsuit my friend Missy bought her. Thank you Missy! She looked so cute and snuggly in it.

Gramma Dennice and Laura

Silly Crazy Moments

Here are some silly crazy pictures of moments in our silly crazy house!!

Ok, seriously I already know we are weird so no one has to say how weird we really are. I was born and raised in a weird home and it just never left my blood and Craig is just plain weird and not sure what his excuse is, but ya gotta keep things alive and just roll with it at times. So here we are all getting ready to walk out the door to dinner and Craig goes upstairs to change out of his work clothes and comes down like this. At first he had on a little kids giraffe hat on and then changes it to this pink one. (Alayna's hat) Mom is just hysterical over the issue and encourages me to get in on the fun of it all and quite honestly being in my constant state of drunken exhaustion I just submitted to it and didn't put up a fight. So she says this is how we need to go on our first after baby date night. Um, I don't think I'd go that far. My poor children don't even know what kind of parents they have

Alayna has regressed a little with the markers. This was a thing of the past, but here she was caught eating the markers. Another attention getter I suppose!

Here's daddy just letting Alayna put spiderman stickers all over his face.

Gramma and Bradley having some trampoline fun!! Craig and Bradley had a ball bouncing her around like popcorn until she "broke her back" and then she was out of commision for a little while. She's not your typical little ole grannie. She's more insane and has more energy than she knows what to do with and then gets herself into trouble.

Alayna with daddy's hunting headlamp on.

Bradley's creative bathtime fun. They got bath crayons for Christmas and just love them!! He was so proud of his creation that he spent forever doing. The next day it was gone do to grammas cleaning the bathroom and she didn't know he wanted it saved so he did it all again the next night.

Gramma dressing Alayna up in her sweatshirt. She looked like a little pink bunny!!

These little rascals are in constant cahoots with each other getting. Together they spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E. I know Sue already posted this one, but this night they were caught in 2 different beds together under the covers. Either that or they get into a toothpaste eating contest with one another.

Here's another one to embarass Craig!! Sorry honey!! We finally decided to get a Wii with the Christmas money that we received. It took awhile for me to be convinced and after we did I sort of regretted it. I think I'm hypersensitive about my children getting addicted to video games since it seems to be an epidemic out there in this technical age, but realize it's up to me how much time they spend on it and we've really have had some good family time with it already with boxing and bowling. It's just so different when we were growing up and not having these options that we were forced into more creative make believe play than being warped with video games so we are working on the creative play at our house as well.

Gramma uncovering Bradley's eyes as he was shown the Wii

He was soo00 excited!

This is how Gramma Cathy gives baths. She just sprays them down with soap. Poor baby!!!

Hers was so upset!
Gramma bought the kids these rocket balloons and they let them go all at once!