OH the SNOW!

 I didn't grow up with snow days like this.  I mean, sure, it snowed.  Sometimes we got the day off.  SOMETIMES.  Snow days were few and far between, and extremely exciting when they happened.  Since living here, there is a much different Snow Day process.  It starts in about November.  Woo hoo!  Snow days are exciting, sometimes there is a delay, Daddy is home!  Then December and January, and they start adding up.  Then we start wishing for Spring, and kind of start worrying, are the snow days going to start taking away from other breaks?  Will he have to go on Saturdays? (Yes, that happens.)

 But this year, our snow day feelings are different.  Snow days mean many things.  It means Daddy stays home all day (YAY), it means Reilly doesn't have school (which makes her sad), it means we can't have fun outings (BOO), it means mommy gets to sleep more (YAY), it means Mommy and Daddy have to be on HIGH energy all day, keeping all parties well occupied so they don't get too stir crazy in the house all day (TIRING), it also means we are that many inches further away from melting and Spring (BOO AGAIN).  The positives definitely outweigh the negatives. We just love having our man around!

We started our morning bringing both the girls mattresses into the living room to play.  They stood up and fell backwards on them (pretty much the best game ever), Daddy pushed them over onto them, we colored on them, and snuggled under blanket to watch Sofia.  We pretended they were magic carpets, and bounced up and down.  It was pretty much non stop excitement straight till lunch, and got them nice and tired for naps!

 We celebrated Valentine's Day today since Daddy was home all day.  We exchanged gifts, and had our annual Valentine's Scavenger Hunt which ends with little treats for the girls.  This year they got a Barbie movie, nightgown, and jellybeans which they were so excited about!  Reilly actually remembered the hunt from last year!  We had pink pancakes and heart shaped donuts, and we had mocha lattes during naptime.  All around a pretty awesome day.  I'll take a snow day like this one any day. :)

Okay, not any day.  Just until March.  Once March comes, I need 50 degrees or higher. ;)

The Oldest One

Each one of my little ones are so special.  It's unreal to think how much you can love them, in their own individual way for their own special things.  My nickname for Reilly is "my sweet girl", because man can she ever be the sweetest little thing.  In the picture above, she is saying, "Here Declan, you sit right here next to me so I can look at you while I eat because you make me so happy!"  

Lately, this girl has needed more one-on-one time from Hubby and I.  More big-girl-only activities, more special reading time, more cuddles, more focus.  It undoubtedly has to do with our newest arrival, although it's never directed at him, she just adores him all day long.  But we are all growing and learning as a family what each of us needs each day.  Each one of them is just so different.  Right now, Declan needs breastmilk and little else.  Reagan needs everyone to "LOOK" at everything she is doing, and for her Sissy to always be playing near her.  And our oldest needs attention, as much as we can give. And each day is spent trying my best to keep everyone's needs met, and keep everyone smiling, or better yet laughing.

This day after her nap, her siblings were still sleeping.  She wanted to sit, and she wanted to cuddle.  So sit and cuddle we did. (This is my new favorite picture.)

She very special.  She is a leader.  This girl would be leader of the leaders who are 2 years her senior.  I love the confidence and spirit that this gives her.  I've been thinking lately how negatively being a leader is viewed at her age ("bossy") - when really, it is one of the most valuable traits to have as an adult.  So as long as she is polite and respectful, I let her lead.  I don't correct or redirect, I let her be.  It's who she is.  She will rarely follow another (besides me, thank God!).  I pray that she will continue to lead, only following me, Hubby, and God.  Because really, in the long run, having her be the strong leader she is puts my mind at ease. I know she won't be following anyone off of any bridges just because they said it was cool. ;)

Nobody makes Declan smile like Reilly does.  She doesn't even have to try, she just sits in his premises and he finds her, and he laughs.  It makes her SO HAPPY.

I can't tell you how many times I have seen her tear up and tell me that Declan makes her so happy that it makes her "cry happy tears".  The other day, she started tearing up and told me that Declan gives her hope. I knew exactly what she meant.

Watching your babies interact has to be one of the greatest joys of life.  What is better than this. 

She was made to be a big sister, and this little boy was evidently made to be spoiled and adored. :)

 

Lately we talk daily about school, her friends at school, "Katie McGee" and stories from when I was little, when Daddy will be home, snow days, princesses and all their movies, heaven, dressing up and pretending, Christmas, and her birthday.  Always her birthday. 

I love this sweet girl.

Where to Begin!

 Oh where to begin with the busy-ness of our household currently.  I have had the busiest month, with not much on our actual schedule, of my life.  Every day is so full, and yet most days we haven't left the house.  We have had 2 hour delays and snow days, a maximum average temperature of about 10 degrees, and lots of around-the-house playtime. 

We have been dressing up in princess dresses and heels every.single.day.  There was even a formal tea party event thrown by our oldest in which mommy and daddy dressed up as well.  My outfit was picked our for me, it was an event.  Reilly has successfully trained our almost-2 year old babygirl to cry when her princess dress needs to be taken off at bedtime.  We barter and convince in order to get leggings and boots on these girls when we have to leave the house (because "princesses don't wear boots).  I swear this summer, every time you see us out these girls will be in their princess dresses.  I can't wait until it's 80 degrees and I can say "Sure, you can wear that dress to the store!"

 These pictures are of them eating special lollypops that were in their stockings.  It didn't occur to Santa that eating these lollys would be the equivalent of eating about 16 candy canes in one sitting.  I had to document the sugar rush. :)  It was a sight to see!

 The little guy has been eating non-stop!  I have to constantly check the clock and make sure he isn't eating more often than every 2 hours, because the doctor said this will help him stretch his feedings at night.  I am currently on the "eat whenever I can, as often as I can, as much as I can because my baby is taking all my calories" post-baby diet.  If you could even call that a diet. Ha.

Reagan is saying so so much lately, and usually every single thing that her sister says.  Literally word for word.  She thinks every meal is called dinner, and runs to her chair at mealtime shouting "DINNAHHHH!"  Everything she does is hilarious, even when she is "mad".

On an unrelated note, if you are a mommy of young kids, and you don't drink coffee, would you mind contacting me?  I would just like to have a conversation, maybe study your brain.  Coffee is a food group around here.

 I have felt more like referee lately than ever before!  Give that back, don't speak fresh, use your words, what do you say, ask your sister nicely, don't touch him when he's sleeping, quiet voices when he's sleeping, no high heels when he's sleeping (are you sensing a trend?), wash your hands, give mommy back her phone, 5 more bites...give mommy kisses.  Never before did I know a day could be so full.  Never did I know a day could be so full of love, laughs, stress, fatigue, joy, and chaos at the same time. 

When I was pregnant, women would come up to me, see the girls, and say "Bless you, having three kids so close.  It will be the craziest time in your life, but it will be the funnest.  You will miss these days."  I seriously cannot remember the number of women that said a version of that sentence.

These kids are the joy of our lives.  Our house is chock-full of crazy.  And we wouldn't trade it for anything.

So I tell you now, my blog posts might be shorter.  Snippets. Pictures. Whenever I can, I will post because I love writing, I love recording, I love knowing these memories are here.  But if I don't, it's because there are 3 loads of laundry that need folding, or dinner that needs cutting up, or a doll who lost her shoe, or a diaper that needs to be changed.  And 3 little faces who want me looking at them, 6 little hands that want to be held, and  3 foreheads that need my kisses.

And that's what we've been up to this month. :)

2 Months!

 Oh, this boy.  He is just the sweetest little love that we could ever have been blessed with.  Some of our days this month have been busy and crazy and filled with toddlers screaming in house surrounded by snow...but this little one has been this peaceful, joyful little nugget amongst the noise and chaos. 

 It's hard to believe that 2 months ago the term "BabyDec" had not yet been coined by Reagan.  Now it is yelled, sang, shouted, cooed, in our house at least 765 a day.  And it might be possible that this little guy adores his sisters even more than they adore him.  It's crazy how Reilly will come up by his side and start talking to him, and his smile will spread across his face almost instantly.  He sure loves his girls.

 He smiles all of the time!  And laughs and coos.  It's the best feeling ever seeing him look up at you and smile without even trying.  He's such a happy little boy. 

 Declan is GIANT.  Like huge.  He weighs about 16 pounds (from our scale), and just to give you an idea...the outfit he is wearing in this picture is 9 months.  9 MONTHS.  AND LOOK HOW WELL IT FITS HIM.  It's insanity.  I can't keep clothes in his closet that fit him.  The baby loves to eat.  He eats approximately every hour and 45 minutes.  I am actually quite serious.  Every so often he'll happily wait 2 hours, or sleep in the car and last 3.  But usually about 1.5 hours after THE BEGINNING of his last meal, he is looking for his next one.  OH, this boy.  I see hefty food bills in our future. ;)

  

 

 (LOOK AT HIS SWEET LITTLE FACE.)  Sorry for shouting.  His face makes me melt. 

Declan Brett is just stretching out his feedings a bit at night.  His Daddy is a trooper and basically my BFF because he takes the 2:30 feeding every night without complaining.  That leave me with the 11 and 4.  Every so often he skips one, like last night he went from 11 to 4!  I of course had to wake up at 5 to pump, but I didn't care, he skipped one!  I said I'm giving him to 3 month before we start crying it out more...we are no nonsense when it comes to getting sleep, and we are pretty set on having 3 all-night sleepers in this house ASAP.  Here's hoping. :)

 He is losing all of his newborn hair!  We are going to have a little baldy on our hands pretty soon.  Good thing mama has a hat obsession. :)

 He is focusing like CRAZY!  He is looking at toys, moving things, people's faces, and his hands!  Neither of the girls discovered their hands this early!  He is studying them, spinning them around in front of his face, and munching on his fists.  It is crazy to me how fast he is growing and learning.

 I put this on and said, "Look this hat fits him!" and then realized, no it does not. Ha!  But he still looks precious. 

Baby boy does this hilarious Superman/bodybuilder pose every time we change his diaper!  He folds one arm/fist, and stretches his other one out to the side.  It's so funny. 

 

 His favorite things are:  breastfeeding, looking at Mommy or Daddy, having his sissies talk or sing to him, rock in his chair, look outside, being shampooed, be in mommy's chest carrier, and ride in the car (if it's moving!). 

His least favorite things are: getting a bath, being lotioned, and ride in the car (when it stops!).

 These 3 fill my heart so fully that most days I feel like it could burst.  Mama's (and Daddy's) know what I mean. 

Declan, you are my little (big) nugget!  Happy 2 months...we are so blessed to have you, and thank God for you every day!