4 weeks ago
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Memorial Day
Our Memorial Day was low-key. Gigi & Poppy visited us Sunday, but because Ben has been sick, we didn't really leave the house for four days. Our a/c was also not working well as we were waiting for a part to fix it, so we were grateful for the rain all weekend to cool things down. I do love this little outfit, though - it crisscrosses in the back and has ruffles on the bottom! She is so darn cute and fun to dress too!
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Dear Ben: 3 years
Dear Ben,
Yesterday you were sick with a high fever and couldn't even keep water down - it was so scary! I hate when my babies are sick, and you have always seemed to have more difficulty with feeling ill than your brother. It seems to affect you more, so it's especially difficult to see my happy, funny boy feeling so puny and bad. Although you are definitely a "daddy's boy" right now, I got to take you to the doctor for a late night appointment, and you let me hold you the whole time and carry you in/out. I don't get to hold you very often these days, and last night it really struck me at how big you are getting. I can't believe you are already 3 years old! While we were waiting, I asked if you wanted me to sing you a song, and you whispered "yes," then when I asked if you wanted to hear "Baby Mine," you whispered "yes" again, and it brought tears to my eyes. I don't know how much longer you will want me to sing you our baby songs, but I hope we have a few years left. Maybe until high school? Maybe not :)
You are such a sweet, happy dude with such a fun personality. You are an active little boy with a big imagination and a loving heart. You love giving hugs and kisses, and are very serious about it, too - I love when you close your eyes to lean in to give a kiss, and you are a cuddle-bug. My sweet baby boy! You are always so busy, and either smiling or laughing, so it's striking when you are feeling sick and get so quiet. Right now you are into trains (that's an ongoing love) and building with tinker toys, and you also love puzzles and reading books. You are very proud of knowing your ABC's, and you are a smart little man. You are a little artist, and you enjoy coloring but really love painting. You also love anything outdoors - going to the park, playing in the water, playing in the back yard, riding bikes, kicking balls, etc etc. You are not, however, a fan of sunscreen, which makes our outdoor play a challenge sometimes! You are a fairly good eater and will eat almost every veggie I give you, with the exception of carrots. I'm sure that will change. You're not as adventurous with fruits, but neither was I as a child, so it's probably my fault. Your favorite food is COOKIES! Actually, it's usually a pretty good bribe at getting you to eat the rest of your dinner. I wonder if that will always work as a bribe? Make good grades and I'll give you a cookie, make your curfew and I'll give you a cookie. Just kidding, I have no doubt that you will grow up to be such a good boy that no bribes, cookies or otherwise, will be needed. :)
Benny, you are so loving, and you are so loved. You are such a handsome boy! I love your squinty-eyed, full teeth smile and your sweet little voice and even your mischievous grin. You do make some mischief, but you have an accomplice for that. I love to hear you sing, and you enjoy doing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse dance, and know all the characters' different moves, too. You love to help and you love "activities," so I try to accommodate you as often as possible. When you are involved in something, you can become so focused to the point of becoming oblivious to others and your surroundings. More than once you have looked up to find that someone else has joined the room or activity and asked them how or when they got there. We think that's so funny! I hope that your single-mindedness and focus and determination takes you far in life, and although I need you to slow down a little, I am looking forward to watching you grow up and seeing where life takes you. You bring me so much joy; I love you so much!!
XOXO,
Mommy
Yesterday you were sick with a high fever and couldn't even keep water down - it was so scary! I hate when my babies are sick, and you have always seemed to have more difficulty with feeling ill than your brother. It seems to affect you more, so it's especially difficult to see my happy, funny boy feeling so puny and bad. Although you are definitely a "daddy's boy" right now, I got to take you to the doctor for a late night appointment, and you let me hold you the whole time and carry you in/out. I don't get to hold you very often these days, and last night it really struck me at how big you are getting. I can't believe you are already 3 years old! While we were waiting, I asked if you wanted me to sing you a song, and you whispered "yes," then when I asked if you wanted to hear "Baby Mine," you whispered "yes" again, and it brought tears to my eyes. I don't know how much longer you will want me to sing you our baby songs, but I hope we have a few years left. Maybe until high school? Maybe not :)
You are such a sweet, happy dude with such a fun personality. You are an active little boy with a big imagination and a loving heart. You love giving hugs and kisses, and are very serious about it, too - I love when you close your eyes to lean in to give a kiss, and you are a cuddle-bug. My sweet baby boy! You are always so busy, and either smiling or laughing, so it's striking when you are feeling sick and get so quiet. Right now you are into trains (that's an ongoing love) and building with tinker toys, and you also love puzzles and reading books. You are very proud of knowing your ABC's, and you are a smart little man. You are a little artist, and you enjoy coloring but really love painting. You also love anything outdoors - going to the park, playing in the water, playing in the back yard, riding bikes, kicking balls, etc etc. You are not, however, a fan of sunscreen, which makes our outdoor play a challenge sometimes! You are a fairly good eater and will eat almost every veggie I give you, with the exception of carrots. I'm sure that will change. You're not as adventurous with fruits, but neither was I as a child, so it's probably my fault. Your favorite food is COOKIES! Actually, it's usually a pretty good bribe at getting you to eat the rest of your dinner. I wonder if that will always work as a bribe? Make good grades and I'll give you a cookie, make your curfew and I'll give you a cookie. Just kidding, I have no doubt that you will grow up to be such a good boy that no bribes, cookies or otherwise, will be needed. :)
Benny, you are so loving, and you are so loved. You are such a handsome boy! I love your squinty-eyed, full teeth smile and your sweet little voice and even your mischievous grin. You do make some mischief, but you have an accomplice for that. I love to hear you sing, and you enjoy doing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse dance, and know all the characters' different moves, too. You love to help and you love "activities," so I try to accommodate you as often as possible. When you are involved in something, you can become so focused to the point of becoming oblivious to others and your surroundings. More than once you have looked up to find that someone else has joined the room or activity and asked them how or when they got there. We think that's so funny! I hope that your single-mindedness and focus and determination takes you far in life, and although I need you to slow down a little, I am looking forward to watching you grow up and seeing where life takes you. You bring me so much joy; I love you so much!!
XOXO,
Mommy
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| Benny at the Dr - sitting so patiently! |
Dear Jack: 3 years
Dear Jack,
You had a surgery last week, and I was originally going to let your daddy take you (since you, also, are a serious "daddy's boy" right now) until he told me that the surgeon suggested bringing a lovey for after your surgery. I couldn't imagine my little boy waking up and needing his lovey but not having his mommy there, so we made arrangements for Aunt La to stay with Ben & Claire while we took you for your surgery. I was happy to have some Jack snuggle time before your surgery. You are such a caring brother, you were sure to pick out a sticker to bring home to Ben and asked about him a few times while we were gone. You often think about your brother; for example when we go out you will grab two of whatever you see (balls, swings, toys) and hold one for your brother. When we got home, you were totally fine, as if nothing had happened. In general when you get sick, you are such a trooper and act almost the same, just a little slower than normal Jack-speed!
Oh, sweet Jack, you are such a funny dude! You have a big, fun personality and you have been alert and aware from day one. I think you are a problem solver, and we can almost see your mind at work sometimes. You are smart and have a great memory, and will often bring up something from "yesterday" - everything in the past is "yesterday!" You like to sing and are proud that you know your ABCs. We are proud, too! You are not as much of a cuddler as your brother, but you are so caring and empathetic. You will notice other children get upset and comment on them or try to help them, and you are a conscientious sharer, not just with your brother, but with others too - at Kindermusik you will pass out items to any child or parent who is missing some. You are a big helper to me and to others too, and sing the "clean up song" to yourself as you pick up. You are quick to congratulate someone on an accomplishment, telling them "dood job," or that you are "proud for" them. You are my fruit-eater and eat almost all fruits I give you, which might be connected to your little sweet-tooth.
Just like your brother, you are an active boy who loves going outside, but you're not much of a fan of sunscreen either. You love to throw & catch balls, and have started to enjoy soccer. You are a little mischief-maker, and have an accomplice for all of your clever schemes. I love your sweet, high-pitched voice, and your sweet, squeezy hugs. You are such a busy boy and rarely sit still. Right now you are into trains and trucks, books, coloring, balls, puzzles, tinker toys/legos, and art. You also love our activities, but don't ask for them as often as Ben. I think you are content with entertaining yourself pretty often. You are so darn cute, and I love your little face. You tend to be sensitive and intuitive, and in most situations, you "get it." You are always listening and taking things in, evaluating your environment - not much gets past my Jackster! You also refuse to answer violence with violence - when Ben scratches or bites you (he has been scratching you a lot lately when he pinches you), you will not retaliate but just cry until mommy or daddy intervene. I hope that is a trend for life, and that you always realize that two wrongs don't make a right. :)
You are such a loveable and thoughtful boy, and you are so loved! I enjoy your problem-solving and getting insights into that bright little mind of yours, and I am looking forward to seeing where life takes you. You do need to slow down a little; every time I look into your little face I am struck by how quickly you are growing and changing. I pray that God will bless you both with good friends, good teachers, and a love of learning with a heart for others. You bring so much joy to my heart; I love you so much!
XOXO,
Mommy
You had a surgery last week, and I was originally going to let your daddy take you (since you, also, are a serious "daddy's boy" right now) until he told me that the surgeon suggested bringing a lovey for after your surgery. I couldn't imagine my little boy waking up and needing his lovey but not having his mommy there, so we made arrangements for Aunt La to stay with Ben & Claire while we took you for your surgery. I was happy to have some Jack snuggle time before your surgery. You are such a caring brother, you were sure to pick out a sticker to bring home to Ben and asked about him a few times while we were gone. You often think about your brother; for example when we go out you will grab two of whatever you see (balls, swings, toys) and hold one for your brother. When we got home, you were totally fine, as if nothing had happened. In general when you get sick, you are such a trooper and act almost the same, just a little slower than normal Jack-speed!
Oh, sweet Jack, you are such a funny dude! You have a big, fun personality and you have been alert and aware from day one. I think you are a problem solver, and we can almost see your mind at work sometimes. You are smart and have a great memory, and will often bring up something from "yesterday" - everything in the past is "yesterday!" You like to sing and are proud that you know your ABCs. We are proud, too! You are not as much of a cuddler as your brother, but you are so caring and empathetic. You will notice other children get upset and comment on them or try to help them, and you are a conscientious sharer, not just with your brother, but with others too - at Kindermusik you will pass out items to any child or parent who is missing some. You are a big helper to me and to others too, and sing the "clean up song" to yourself as you pick up. You are quick to congratulate someone on an accomplishment, telling them "dood job," or that you are "proud for" them. You are my fruit-eater and eat almost all fruits I give you, which might be connected to your little sweet-tooth.
Just like your brother, you are an active boy who loves going outside, but you're not much of a fan of sunscreen either. You love to throw & catch balls, and have started to enjoy soccer. You are a little mischief-maker, and have an accomplice for all of your clever schemes. I love your sweet, high-pitched voice, and your sweet, squeezy hugs. You are such a busy boy and rarely sit still. Right now you are into trains and trucks, books, coloring, balls, puzzles, tinker toys/legos, and art. You also love our activities, but don't ask for them as often as Ben. I think you are content with entertaining yourself pretty often. You are so darn cute, and I love your little face. You tend to be sensitive and intuitive, and in most situations, you "get it." You are always listening and taking things in, evaluating your environment - not much gets past my Jackster! You also refuse to answer violence with violence - when Ben scratches or bites you (he has been scratching you a lot lately when he pinches you), you will not retaliate but just cry until mommy or daddy intervene. I hope that is a trend for life, and that you always realize that two wrongs don't make a right. :)
You are such a loveable and thoughtful boy, and you are so loved! I enjoy your problem-solving and getting insights into that bright little mind of yours, and I am looking forward to seeing where life takes you. You do need to slow down a little; every time I look into your little face I am struck by how quickly you are growing and changing. I pray that God will bless you both with good friends, good teachers, and a love of learning with a heart for others. You bring so much joy to my heart; I love you so much!
XOXO,
Mommy
Dear Claire: 3 months
Claire at 3 months is just over 13 lbs and in 3-6 month clothing. Our day starts between 6:30-7:30 for the first feeding, depending on how long she sleeps:
7:00 - wake, nurse
8:00 - nap
10:00 - nurse
11:00 - nap
1:00 - nurse
2:00 - nap
3:30 - nurse
4:30 - nap
6:30 - nurse, bath
7:30 - bed
9:30 - dreamfeed
I just saw something wonderful on Pinterest, and although I'm starting late, this is a great idea that I want to try. I'm going to periodically write letters to my little loves about what they're doing at that moment in time. Something that will surely someday make me cry! So there will likely be a few of these with different ages showing up on the blog. :)
Dear Claire,
You are already 3 months old, and my, how time is flying with you, little one. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, the first 3 months weren't as easy as I envisioned, but then, your daddy tells me I see the world with rose-colored glasses and I always anticipate the very best scenarios. I'm an optimist! I think I expected the sleeping thing to be easy since the boys were relatively easy to sleep-train, and I think I didn't expect the feeding problems because I figured no way feeding could be difficult with a full-term singleton. God uses my assumptions for growth, that's all I can say :) I cannot believe how quickly your infancy has passed, but I am grateful that you are eating comfortably now and sleeping so well.
Only 3 months old and already you are a whiz kid :) Today (at 14 wks and 2 days), you rolled over from your back to your tummy 3 times. That's not supposed to happen for a few months! And you've already mastered the tummy to back roll, which was a couple of months early. I often am told how alert you are by others, and indeed you seem to take everything in - reminds me of your brother Jack! I love to watch you as you watch your brothers; you are fascinated by them and so quiet while they are active around you. When they sit next to you and slow down to interact, you will "talk" to them - it's as if you know when it's the right time for a conversation. And goodness, you are a talker! But I think it's funny how you wait until the end of an alert period to really talk. It's almost as if you are waking up slowly, watching and taking everything in, then in a rush you want to express yourself to make sense of all the new things you learned in the last hour :) As fun as all your talking and "ah, ah, ahs" are, it's your smiles and laughs that are just the best. You are a smiley little thing, and your laughter almost always gives you hiccups!
As for eating and sleeping, you are eating well, although I often have to remind you that eating is not a time to be social, because you will roll backward to look at me and smile, then dive back into my chest a few times before deciding that you will eat again. Silly girl. You really have been a good sleeper from the start, you just weren't very consistent until recently. I will say that putting you down for a nap or for the night has been a snap. I would actually like to rock you a little before naps, since you are my last baby and I want to enjoy this phase, but you will start falling asleep before I can even finish one song. Sometimes you are asleep as soon as I finish wrapping you and give you your pacifier. I am also amazed at the amount of noise you are able to sleep through. Crossing my fingers that that lasts a while longer! You will often refuse the last nap of the day, which is the busiest time of day for me as I am feeding your brothers, getting them bathed, etc - so you will join us in the living room and usually fall asleep in your rock & play sleeper, amid all the noise, balls flying over your head and all.
Keeping these letters brief may be difficult. I love you more with each passing day, my Claire bear, and you are such a wonderful addition to this family.
XOXO,
Mommy
7:00 - wake, nurse
8:00 - nap
10:00 - nurse
11:00 - nap
1:00 - nurse
2:00 - nap
3:30 - nurse
4:30 - nap
6:30 - nurse, bath
7:30 - bed
9:30 - dreamfeed
I just saw something wonderful on Pinterest, and although I'm starting late, this is a great idea that I want to try. I'm going to periodically write letters to my little loves about what they're doing at that moment in time. Something that will surely someday make me cry! So there will likely be a few of these with different ages showing up on the blog. :)
Dear Claire,
You are already 3 months old, and my, how time is flying with you, little one. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, the first 3 months weren't as easy as I envisioned, but then, your daddy tells me I see the world with rose-colored glasses and I always anticipate the very best scenarios. I'm an optimist! I think I expected the sleeping thing to be easy since the boys were relatively easy to sleep-train, and I think I didn't expect the feeding problems because I figured no way feeding could be difficult with a full-term singleton. God uses my assumptions for growth, that's all I can say :) I cannot believe how quickly your infancy has passed, but I am grateful that you are eating comfortably now and sleeping so well.
Only 3 months old and already you are a whiz kid :) Today (at 14 wks and 2 days), you rolled over from your back to your tummy 3 times. That's not supposed to happen for a few months! And you've already mastered the tummy to back roll, which was a couple of months early. I often am told how alert you are by others, and indeed you seem to take everything in - reminds me of your brother Jack! I love to watch you as you watch your brothers; you are fascinated by them and so quiet while they are active around you. When they sit next to you and slow down to interact, you will "talk" to them - it's as if you know when it's the right time for a conversation. And goodness, you are a talker! But I think it's funny how you wait until the end of an alert period to really talk. It's almost as if you are waking up slowly, watching and taking everything in, then in a rush you want to express yourself to make sense of all the new things you learned in the last hour :) As fun as all your talking and "ah, ah, ahs" are, it's your smiles and laughs that are just the best. You are a smiley little thing, and your laughter almost always gives you hiccups!
As for eating and sleeping, you are eating well, although I often have to remind you that eating is not a time to be social, because you will roll backward to look at me and smile, then dive back into my chest a few times before deciding that you will eat again. Silly girl. You really have been a good sleeper from the start, you just weren't very consistent until recently. I will say that putting you down for a nap or for the night has been a snap. I would actually like to rock you a little before naps, since you are my last baby and I want to enjoy this phase, but you will start falling asleep before I can even finish one song. Sometimes you are asleep as soon as I finish wrapping you and give you your pacifier. I am also amazed at the amount of noise you are able to sleep through. Crossing my fingers that that lasts a while longer! You will often refuse the last nap of the day, which is the busiest time of day for me as I am feeding your brothers, getting them bathed, etc - so you will join us in the living room and usually fall asleep in your rock & play sleeper, amid all the noise, balls flying over your head and all.
Keeping these letters brief may be difficult. I love you more with each passing day, my Claire bear, and you are such a wonderful addition to this family.
XOXO,
Mommy
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| Conked out in the living room! |
 |
| I just think you look like a little doll here! |
Monday, May 19, 2014
Hello, 3-months, where have you been all of -her- life?
Ohhhh, you just wouldn't even believe how wonderful life is now that Claire is 3 months old and is eating & sleeping like a champ! She eats without fussing, which means neither of us is crying at every feeding now! And probably because she is eating better, she is sleeping better - not just full nights, but great full naps too! I'm over the moon. I am sad to see her infancy pass so, so quickly, but it's like a breath of fresh air to be able to feed her stress-free and to sleep all night long! Truly, the night that she turned 3 months old, click, started us on a consecutive 9-10 hour sleeping pattern (with the dream-feed). Interestingly, she no longer has a bowel movement after (almost) every feeding anymore; it's more like once or twice a day now. I think that must mean her little system is maturing, which means she can eat more comfortably. A plug for probiotics, and also a plug for appropriate dressing - we think maybe she was waking because she got cold after unwrapping herself so started putting her in pants/sleeper sets.
I can't believe she is already a quarter of a year old! This time is flying, and I want to savor every moment. She is so sweet and so precious, and I keep thinking - "this is my last baby," "this is the last time I'll be waking in the night to feed a baby," "this is the last time I'll get to treasure every first." Also, Claire found her voice! She has already moved from cooing and gurgling to full-on yells & "ah's!" I love her little voice! But I miss how she would shrug her shoulders up, squint her eyes, & coo at me, and that was just a few days ago! You are changing too fast, little one. She is such a good baby, she just hangs out with us while I'm running around with the boys and is content to just watch all the activity, and she does great when we take her to dinner. She is not a big fan of her carseat, I just have to be careful not to put her in before she gets too tired - if she's ready for a nap, she wants to be wrapped and in her crib. :)
I can't believe she is already a quarter of a year old! This time is flying, and I want to savor every moment. She is so sweet and so precious, and I keep thinking - "this is my last baby," "this is the last time I'll be waking in the night to feed a baby," "this is the last time I'll get to treasure every first." Also, Claire found her voice! She has already moved from cooing and gurgling to full-on yells & "ah's!" I love her little voice! But I miss how she would shrug her shoulders up, squint her eyes, & coo at me, and that was just a few days ago! You are changing too fast, little one. She is such a good baby, she just hangs out with us while I'm running around with the boys and is content to just watch all the activity, and she does great when we take her to dinner. She is not a big fan of her carseat, I just have to be careful not to put her in before she gets too tired - if she's ready for a nap, she wants to be wrapped and in her crib. :)
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Cancer-Free!
I am ecstatic to report that Jonathan is cancer free! What a whirlwind of crazy this health scare has been, and I'm so glad it's behind us. The surgery was straight-forward and his recovery was fairly easy. And let's be honest, the compression socks were straight up sexy :)
Jonathan's surgery was 2/27, just 2 weeks after Claire was born. We were lucky to have our wonderful family to help us out - J's grandparents and Cousin Carol came to watch the kiddos that day, while his parents and I were at the hospital, his Aunt Andi came the next day, and Erin came the next week to stay with us while he recovered and help me with all 3 littles. That day was crazy, with me having to come home to pump & feed Claire and worrying about the surgery. The nice part of J's recovery & taking it easy was that he was totally allowed to just sit and hold sweet baby Claire.
The scariest part of the recovery (not including the scar he likes to freak everyone out with - fail, the boys were not impressed), was his lack of a voice. J sounded like he was hoarse for a couple of months! The dr told him he wouldn't be able to yell at the kids for a while, to which I replied, Jonathan Solomon? Yell? He hardly disciplines these maniacs, much less yells at them when they're naughty! But it did frustrate him to not be able to raise his voice when needed. My little all-boy three-year-olds need a stroooong hand sometimes, which does require a firm voice at the very least. I am glad his voice came back!
After he was all recovered and his levels returned to normal, Jonathan took a radioactive iodine pill to irradiate any remaining cancer in his body. Because he was radioactive ("welcome to the new age, to the new age" - I hear it in my head every time I say that) he couldn't be around the littles for a week so he stayed with his parents. Poor Richard & Susie! I think he tried to stay a safe distance, and the pictures he sent had everything saran wrapped in his little room that he was basically confined to for a week. Anyway, we were really glad when that was over, and he was able to make it home for the boys' 3rd birthday and party, thankfully. In other good news, it happened to correspond with a period of 2 weeks when we had night nurse Kim helping us out with Claire. I would have been a zombie had I been up all night during the height of her day/night confusion, and taking care of the boys on my own for a week.
We are very thankful for our friends and family who banded together to support us during such a busy, scary time. Jonathan and I have been so humbled by the outpouring of well-wishes, prayers, dinners, and hand-holding that we've received. It was a good reminder of how very blessed we are by the families we were fortunate enough to be born into/married into, and how very blessed we are with amazing friends.
Cancer is a horrible disease, and we were so fortunate that Jonathan's happened to be treatable. Good-bye Fred! Jonathan is now thyroid-free, and takes a daily thyroid hormone replacement medication. Other than that, he is the same old J :)
Jonathan's surgery was 2/27, just 2 weeks after Claire was born. We were lucky to have our wonderful family to help us out - J's grandparents and Cousin Carol came to watch the kiddos that day, while his parents and I were at the hospital, his Aunt Andi came the next day, and Erin came the next week to stay with us while he recovered and help me with all 3 littles. That day was crazy, with me having to come home to pump & feed Claire and worrying about the surgery. The nice part of J's recovery & taking it easy was that he was totally allowed to just sit and hold sweet baby Claire.
The scariest part of the recovery (not including the scar he likes to freak everyone out with - fail, the boys were not impressed), was his lack of a voice. J sounded like he was hoarse for a couple of months! The dr told him he wouldn't be able to yell at the kids for a while, to which I replied, Jonathan Solomon? Yell? He hardly disciplines these maniacs, much less yells at them when they're naughty! But it did frustrate him to not be able to raise his voice when needed. My little all-boy three-year-olds need a stroooong hand sometimes, which does require a firm voice at the very least. I am glad his voice came back!
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| These boys missed their daddy while he was in the hospital and during his recovery |
We are very thankful for our friends and family who banded together to support us during such a busy, scary time. Jonathan and I have been so humbled by the outpouring of well-wishes, prayers, dinners, and hand-holding that we've received. It was a good reminder of how very blessed we are by the families we were fortunate enough to be born into/married into, and how very blessed we are with amazing friends.
Cancer is a horrible disease, and we were so fortunate that Jonathan's happened to be treatable. Good-bye Fred! Jonathan is now thyroid-free, and takes a daily thyroid hormone replacement medication. Other than that, he is the same old J :)
Lord, thank you for this man, and thank you for healing him. I am so blessed by my marriage, and this growing little family You have given us. The thought of losing him was scary, and I pray for others who haven't been as fortunate. I cannot imagine walking through life without my life partner, and I'm so grateful to have him beside me. Thank you for the love that we share, and thank you for his faithfulness to You, to me, and to our precious babies. Thank you for his morals and his work ethic, and for the way that he encourages me. Thank you for his cute smile and his sense of humor, and thank you for giving him the patience of a saint. Thank you for his health, and please keep him healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually. Please, Lord, let us spend many more wonderful years together! I pray that you keep this family safe and healthy.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Mother's Day 2014
This was my first mother's day as a mother of 3 - so wonderful! We went to brunch with Jonathan's family to celebrate Susie, G'ma Lainey, & Aunt Andi on this special day, and called my mom on our way there. We sure have a lot of great moms in our life! I felt especially grateful for my mom and Susie on a day when they have to celebrate without their moms. I cannot imagine how difficult and bittersweet that must make Mother's Day for them.
I am also especially grateful for the three munchkins who made me a mom and love that this is my first of many many celebrations with all three of these little blessings. Jonathan Solomon came through on my mother's day journal, so instead of cards they started a journal that they will sign every year. I love it! He also gave me a daily quote journal to write down a line a day of something the kids do or say, which I also love! And the boys gave me a spa day, which Jonathan noted as being well-deserved, after spending some one-on-one time with these wild and crazy boys :)
I am also especially grateful for the three munchkins who made me a mom and love that this is my first of many many celebrations with all three of these little blessings. Jonathan Solomon came through on my mother's day journal, so instead of cards they started a journal that they will sign every year. I love it! He also gave me a daily quote journal to write down a line a day of something the kids do or say, which I also love! And the boys gave me a spa day, which Jonathan noted as being well-deserved, after spending some one-on-one time with these wild and crazy boys :)
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Busy baby girl
This sweet girl is not quite 3 months old and already she has had a shopping trip with baby Juliette, a girls lunch date, and a couple of baby play dates. Today was her first co-ed playdate with Rebecca and Greyson :) - well, with just babies anyway - Ben & Jack were at school. Claire was just watching the other babies and kept rolling on her side to look at Greyson. I forgot that babies do that; Ben & Jack basically didn't leave the house for their first 6 months, but they did look at each other a lot! Anyway, she felt so light compared to these sweet chunks - I'm hoping the peer pressure gets her to eat a little better and sleep better :)
Can I just say that having a baby is way easier & less isolating with mom friends in the same stage as you? This time around is like night and day different from before. It was so hard to leave work & my work friends, and I didn't have many friends who were moms in the area when I had the boys, so it was really very lonely. It's been such a blessing to be a part of neighborhood moms groups, MOPS, etc!
Despite the very little tummy time I give her, Claire is a tummy time champ, especially when her brothers provide entertainment.
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| Rebecca, Greyson, & Claire were born within a week of each other |
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| Claire & Rebecca were born 1 day apart, and her brother O'Neill is one of the boys' best buddies |
Despite the very little tummy time I give her, Claire is a tummy time champ, especially when her brothers provide entertainment.
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