Just an updated photo of Laura since she changes daily. As her momma, all I can say is yummy lovey!!!! She is starting the baby cooing and smiling. Although it's on her terms and not for pictures just yet.
Valentines Day started out with a new little tradition. The kids went on a little valentines scavenger hunt to find their little gift and candy. I put it all in a little bag of their own to find. We did the hot cold thing for awhile until they finally found them in the playroom. Alayna was so excited I can't even tell you. Everything with this child is fun and exciting. She's bouncy happy about 90% of the time and mad as a hornet the other 10%. She dances and sings I swear all day long. All her little memorized nursury rhymes and such is what I hear. Either that or fall on the floor mad, but I prefer the other. So she finds her bag and all day long she carries it around singing happy valentines day and makes up the other words as she goes. "MOMMY, look at my valentines" Mommy this and MOMMY that and tra la la la la!!!!" "Mommy, thank you for the valentines!!" Bradley was excited, but not quite sure he's a recieving gifts sort of person. Kind of like his mommy. Maybe a little excited at first, but then it's off to something else. For breakfast we had our big breakfast and a new favorite...german pancakes with buttermilk sauce. They are so so yummy!!! We ended the day at Dave and Sue's house for their traditional valentines day party which is always a blast and filled with activities that we really aren't suppose to share so here's to leave you wondering. HA!! It's a kid free environment so we hired two sitters to come to our house to tackle all 5 big kids. We came back and they were alive so all went well. They were happy and well taken care of while we got some time to enjoy with just the adults. Everyone brought something Italian to eat and all was very yummy!
Stealing kisses from daddy
A new family first was having us all dressed up in the same color and red at that. WHOA!!! gotta love it cause not sure it will happen anytime soon again. And our first at home after baby picture of the whole family. AND everone is actually happy. It actually went well with bribes of fruit snacks and more chocolate. It started off in the house and then we ended up outside. We used the tripod....another first!!! The pictures were actually taken the day after valentines day since we didn't pull it off on valentines day.
Just for fun! Craig get a kick out of his fiesty little daughter when she's mad as a hornet. Good thing she waited until after pictures to crumble.
Well here's our blizzard of 2009!! Wouldn't you know when they under promote it we get blasted!! Just kidding! All you northerns always get a kick out of our snow drama. Last night they said the "dusting" would miss us, but to our excitement we got the "dusting" after all. Needless to say the kids were absolutely excited to the max!! They spent almost 2 hours outside this morning doing the best they could with what they got to make at least snowballs. Starting at 7:30 am they got bundled up for the adventure. Alayna actually had a snowsuit they gramma Dennice found her at a thrift store which was great and she loved it!! It's not even noon yet and the snow is all gone. BUMMER! But they had a fun snow fix before it vanished before our eyes. Baby Laura got to play a little too. She was sort of oblivious to it all and my ridicuous idea to bundle her up and bring her out too...at least for the picture. Poor baby doesn't even know what she's missing in her constant sleepy state.My oh my....our sweet little dolly is 7 weeks old and had her 2 month check on friday. It was a little early since her belly button cord had still not fallen off which was bizzare, so we did a two in one since she needed a second treatment on it. The next day it finally fell off. I was so glad since it had been driving me crazy not to submerge her in a really good full bath. I had cheated a few times and just tried to be careful, but that day I was able to really give her a good one and let her soak for a long time and she absolutely loves the bath. Poor little punkin got 4 shots....the normal routine and I always question the vaccinations each time whether we really need to get them and which ones are recommended vs. required and I get the same answer every time about the main ones, but have since questioned some of the newer ones and rejected the ones I didn't have to have and looked like a bad mommy I'm sure, but have gotten bolder in this area. Dumb doctors like to trick me and mess with my head sometimes. That was naughty their not dumb. She said to me in my "perfect doctor world" the parents would get all the ones I recommend and I'm thinking in my "perfect mommy world" mine wouldn't get any.....so there!!
Laura is 10 lbs 13 oz and 22 inches long. She has grown 3 inches since birth and gained almost 4 pounds. She is such a sweet little heart and we love her so much. She just went through what I think was a major growth spurt last week at 6 weeks which through us off a little. My little predictable baby was starting to wake up and make her presence a little more known and need to be feed oh so much and became a little more unpredictable, but realized it was what it was and pushed through. Now she's back to her self and back on a more normal feeding pattern and I really only have had to get up 1- 2 times a night now. The past few nights it's been 1 time and has pulled a couple 5 hour stretches so when timed right then we only have to get up the 1 time. She is really starting to focus on things for longer periods of time and the other day I taught her how to spit out her tongue. (Gramma Cathy's idea to teach her that one) I swear she was trying to copy me and I think she even gave me a few half smiles. So darn cute!!!! My prediction is her eyes will stay blue to take after her daddy's blue eyed side and her hair will be darker than the other two. She loves loves loves to be held and no matter how mad she gets she will stop in an instant once you pick her up. The kids are doing awesome with her although I need to keep in tune with Alayna because she always want to help with her so so much. She's like a little mother hen. I suppose it's a girl thing, but then again Bradley has a nurturing way about him as well. When Laura crys Alayna says "oh oh baby crying I'll get her nuky" and she'll be so helpful, but will grab her head with one had and try to cram the nuky in with the other hand. She means no harm, but is learning to be gentle. She always wants to help me dress her and of course the pjs have a million snaps so when she wants to help I have to be oh so patient so she can help me snap them all. Bradley is of course always so loving with her and will say "oh baby, don't cry, do you want your nuky" or "mommy, you really need to feed her, she's hungry" So between us all we've got her covered. Having 3 is definitely more busy and we've learned to plan ahead alot more and I must say Craig and I work together as a team quite well to keep the ship as on course as we possibly can and I'm so thankful for him and all he does and just knows what to do and does it. We just keep moving and pick up where the other leaves off. We always joke and say "team work..... team work" just like the wonder pets do since we live in cartoon land and language. When things get crazy and don't always go according to plan we just look at each other and one will remind the other and say "Tis our season, gotta love it" Gotta be flexible for sure. We are enjoying each one exactly where they are in their little stages and phases and just stand amazed how God has blessed and entrused these 2 big kids with 3 little kids of our own. We are as always..... SO THANKFUL !!!
There's nothing like the smell of baby hair and the way they look when they are so peacefully sleeping.
My baby girl.....what big eyes you have!
Retard? Yeah, I know, but you can't keep me caged up forever. Good grief.....I was pregnant for 9 months and had to recover for 2 months. That's almost a whole year off of doing the things I love to do. It was the best week last week because I hit the 6 week post partum recovery and the weather couldn't have been more goreous so it was my first week to go for a run and jump on the trampoline which I had been dying to do for 2 months. So we've been out there jumping every day on it and I must say I think the kids are glad to see their old mommy back rumbling and tumbling around with them. I think it may have stunned them to see me all of a sudden emerge. Alayna is a hoot....she's scared of me on it so I always have to hold both of her hands and jump with her or else she just opts out when I'm on it and screams at me the whole time to GET OFF THE TRAMPLOINE MOMMMMMY!!!! Are you kidding me? Craig snuck out and was taking pictures on the deck of us and when I seen him I had to perform a little. It's pretty darn good exercise too.
Haven't quite master the new camera yet. I'm sure it will take awhile, but these are some practice shots of the kids outside playing.
