February Feelings

We're in the middle of one of those crazy weather weeks... blizzards, ice storms, wind storms and 60 degree days all in the same week. It's been interesting here.  We've also just made it through a few weeks of like non-stop sickness.  I'd like to personally thank the kindergartners in Easton's class for being sure to share every germ possible with him.  I even got hit hard this time, not sure where my usual rock solid immune system was. I ended up getting a stomach bug while on antibiotics for a whole separate issue. Then there was the water park disaster of 2019, where a puking kid shortened that trip. We barely even made it to the water park because of a bad band of lake effect snow that almost caused an accident.

But hey, this is par for the course, and I'm not going to spend too much time feeling sorry for myself. Stomach bugs are survivable, and we can try the water park again in a while. God is good and we have literally nothing to complain about!

So besides that we're all doing well. The kids are growing too fast as usual. Easton's 100th day of school is today! I'm not sure when that became a thing but he was excited. Also, since it's Friday he gets to take snack money to school so he was extra excited today. He guilted us into starting that, and last week he spent his whole dollar on an ice cream cookie sandwich. I couldn't even be mad, it was an excellent choice. Butttt, once a week is suffice for those kind of treats at school. He's still doing great there, reading like a champ. We're currently in the decision making process with the twins and trying to decide on pre-k. I always overthink everything so of course I've gone back and forth about a hundred times. Jer got a chance to observe a pre-k class and loved it and wants to send them. I just feel like my boys are still so young to send out into the world by themselves! It's literally like 3 hours a day, but I don't know... we didn't send Easton to pre-k. We are only considering it because they seem pretty bored and could use some constructive activities. But anyway.

Hadley... she changes so much I always feel like I want to write some of her little antics down. Right now, she is literally 70% absolute heart melting sweetness and 30% holy friggin sass, girl. Sometimes Jer and I just watch her and look at each other going oh my gosshhhhh she's perfect. And other times, we look at each other wide eyed saying did she really just tell me to "go away"? She says I love you and sings twinkle twinkle and "prays" with us at bedtime. Then she'll turn around and say "stooppp" when we are touching her face or something she doesn't want.  She screams at her brothers to "let gooooo" when she wants what they have and she screams "my mom!" at Jer when he tries to hug me. I'm not going to lie, I love her little attitude. At least it's cute right now.  Another adorrrrable thing she does right now is she has to high five or give "knucks" to everyone. She'll go right around the room hitting every one up for a "five!" as she says. I know, these things aren't as cute to everyone else, but we are absolutely smitten by her.

She's still pretty small and her 18 month check up was kind of frustrating. Her pediatrician wants me to get her to eat more but you know, you can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink, right? I offer her food all day long and she just nibbles. She still nurses, but not that often so I don't think it interferes with her food. The doc suggested I wean her but it didn't seem like he had a good reason. Not that I'm against weaning, I just literally don't know how with this one. She's wants what she wants, haha.

Life is a bit mundane right now in this cold winter, but that's ok. I'm trying to soak up the kids and not wish time away.  There are things all around that are wonderful, even though they are simple. Jer just had a good stretch of time off and sitting around having coffee watching the kiddos being crazy was pretty perfect. Well, Hadley is demanding some attention so I'm done here.  💚

Happy 2019!

Another Christmas has come and gone so fast that I'm left spinning in a pile of new toys and clutter. It's a new year and I'm starting it off with a new mantra: minimalism. Not like crazy levels where I only own 3 shirts and 2 bowls. The kind where I'm going through every corner of my house and purging. Not saving for some yard sale I will never do, getting rid of it. Donating some, tossing others. I have been following a minimalist blogger for about a year now (Allie Casazza) and she said something the other day that made so much sense. In different words she basically said that the waste doesn't happen when you get rid of something, it happens when you buy something you don't need. So I'm trying to let go of things that I could potentially sell for a few bucks and saving my sanity (and safety... no creepy internet buyers coming to my house!). It's been a wonderful week and I can already feel less stressed!

I have a few other new years resolutions. The past few years have been survival mode, but I'm feeling like I actually can have some goals for a change. Reading more (especially the Bible), playing the piano more, spend less time on my phone, lose a few pounds, yell less at my kids, finally wean my daughter (yup, still nursing). We'll see how much of it actually happens, but it's nice to have a focus for the year.

Another big thing this year is working on my growing little business. My mother in law and I started a little side business selling signs and decor that has done pretty decent this last year. It was nice to have extra money coming in around the holidays, but we're at a point where we need a better plan and vision for our little business. I have a degree in business but motherhood has made me forget any former life... all my brain is filled with now is seemingly useless information... which kid likes his pb&j cut what way, which kid likes what cereal, which kid prefers the green bowl and which cup Hadley will drink the most out of... you know, that kind of stuff.  But I think a little research and some advice from friends and family who own their own businesses, I think we could go a little farther and really bring in some extra money.

So lots going on in my mind lately. And as always, a lot going on in my house as well. The boys  are as crazy as ever and my daughter is getting sassier by the day. They are all so sweet, though! All of them will randomly tell me the love me and I get more hugs than I can stand in a day. Tucker, especially, just loves to hang on me. Hadley, of course, is still nursing and still not sleeping great so I spend a lot of time with her. She's got some spice but oh man, what a sweetie lately. Her version of "love you" sounds more like "la oo" but it's the best thing ever. She knows it makes me melt.

Life is kind of wonderful right now. I really am loving being a stay at home mom. God has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams and every day I try to be grateful for being able to stay at home. My hubby works his butt off for our family and I do my best to not take that for granted. I remember the point when I couldn't stay home with Easton and my heart just ached every day that I had to leave him. Even though the days get monotonous and I spend most of the day doing things that I will need to redo tomorrow, I am learning to find joy in it. I get to spend every day with the cutest little people ever in our snug little warm home, and I get to do it in leggings (praise the sweet Lord!).

Not sure where I was going with all of that, but anyway it's an update. Just so I don't ever forget the little details, I'll end with my favorite things about the kids right now:

Easton- he is turning into quite the little leader, even making Kindergartener of the month in his class in November! He is dad's little buddy, at his side any chance he can. He's still my best helper too, even though he's at school most of the day. He enjoys school, but says "it takes too long to come home" and that he misses me (awwwwww).  He's already talking about wanting to be 6, and then 7, and then 8 and I just want my little 3 year old Easton forever! But I love watching this kid grow. He's already starting to read and loves to learn. He asks a million questions and soaks it all in.

Maverick- well, he's still trouble. We're learning what works with him though. He responds much better to praise and will act better if he feels that we are happy with him. We also were gifted a punching bag for Christmas and it helps him get some of his crazy out, haha. He went with me to the grocery store the other day and it seemed like he was having the time of his life.  He definitely is better behaved with a little more one on one time. He loves power rangers and dinosaurs and is by far my best eater. He is his father in every way and it's hilarious to watch Jeremy interact with his little mini-me.

Tucker- this kid is build so athletically but would rather sing and snuggle than use his muscles. He is a total ham and likes to be goofy when everyone is watching. He plays well by himself and doesn't get as bored as his twin. He tells me he loves me probably 30 times a day. He still is a crazy boy though, jumping off the top bunk bed onto his brother's bed and climbing everything. He's always hungry but picky, so that's fun. Not ten minutes after finishing his cinnamon toast crunch, he's asking for a snack. My grocery bill will be insane when he and his brothers grow up a little more.

Hadley- this girl. She is my mini-me. Jer always used to call me a sour patch kid (first they are sour, then they are sweet), and she is the same. She demands to nurse and throws an absolute fit if I don't let her, then will unlatch to say "la oo!" (love you) and I immediately forget her hissy fit. It's her way or the high way (supposedly I'm the same way, but I don't see it ☺). She is literally the best though. So cute and sweet and smart and adorable. She is saying so many words and is already so interested in the potty! She loves all babies and stuffed animals. We got her a little pink shopping cart for Christmas and she pushes her little babies around and gives them their bottles. She wants me close at all times, even at night. She has to be holding my hand to sleep and it's a pain but something I will miss so badly some day. She's still a little peanut but finally starting to fit into 18 month clothes and she's finally eating more. I put her on our home scale yesterday and she was barely over 22 pounds. Oh, and my new favorite thing... she likes to try to talk to my google home. She will go to the counter and start yelling "google! google!" Man, I love that little girl

Kids suck the life outta you but bring so much joy. I love this life!

New Territory

So much changes with kids, and it changes fast. Little things they said or did are gone in a few weeks... phases come and go without warning. I don't know why it's hard for me to get on here to update (ya know, other than the fact that I have four kids and a home to take care of) but I long to sit and write each and every little thing my kids are doing. It's my only sort of pause button in this life of a mom. But life gets in the way, and save for some videos and pictures, little moments are gone in the blink of an eye. Anyway, enough being sappy.

My daughter. She's the reason I wanted to take a minute to write. I titled this post new territory because for this girl of mine often makes me feel like a first time mom with no answers. You know what she's not doing? Sleeping through the night. My boys were all successfully sleep trained well before their first birthday... we tried it, multiple times, it just doesn't work with her. I'm at a loss. Sometimes I spend hours in her room passed out on her floor by her crib, holding her hand in some awkward angle leaving my arm asleep from the shoulder down. It's comfy. (insert eyeroll) So yeah, that's been fun. Now that Easton is in kindergarten my alarm is ringing at 5:50am so I'm adjusting to around 6 hours asleep. I probably could get more if I went to bed at a decent time, but I'm binge watching Jane the Virgin and I just. can't. stop. Don't feel sorry for me! I will always look back at these nights of sleeping on her floor with fondness. I mean, how cute is it that she needs to hold mommy's hand?? I'll survive. There's coffee.

Ok so the second thing on the list of "new" to me is the fact that I, as of today, have nursed her for 14 months. She hates bottles, cows milk, sippy cups of cows milk, cows milk out of a straw (unless it's chocolate, lol) and honestly, she eats like a bird. So, she still nurses. Like a lot. Mostly it's just quick little 3-4 minute sessions. But there is no end in sight. This girl has been a momma's girl since day one and she ain't letting go easy. I always kind of rolled my eyes at extended breastfeeding, but, at this point, I'm too lazy and out of good reasons to wean. Whatevs, she likes it... it's free and good for her. I think 18 months will be a maximum, hopefully before then. I guess we'll see how it goes, but like I said, this is new territory! Easton nursed until 12 months, the twins made it to 14 months too, but that last month was only morning and night.

But time goes so fast. What's a few more months of sleeping on the floor and nursing? She'll get the hang of it. I will long for these days when she's a teenager slamming doors in my face and telling me she doesn't need me.

I'm going to just roll with it. That's my mom-of-four mantra lately. Are they fed, happy, loved, healthy? Yep. Anything else is just details. 💚

One Year.

Yesterday, my sweet baby girl turned one! I have no clue how that happened so fast and I'm not happy about it. I feel like last week she was this chubby, happy, little 4 month old who just smiled all day long. Now she's crawling around with her brothers, playing with toys, being loud and sassy and adorable.

This first year was absolutely wonderful, even though it was fast. My little girl has been my sidekick, my little bestie all year long. Whether I liked it or not, she went with me wherever I went (thanks to clingy-ness and refusal of bottles). Grocery stores, Bible study, Target runs, even date nights. I'm not even mad. Everywhere we went we would get stopped by random strangers commenting on her beauty!

I mean, they are right, right? 

We spend a lot of time together, for sure. She still doesn't sleep through the night, despite all my efforts and multiple attempts at sleep training. She just wants me close. We co-slept for the first six months so I understand. And to be honest, she's my fourth kid so it doesn't really faze me to get up three or four times a night. I've been doing it for five years it seems. Part of her attachment to me is nursing. I don't think we're going to be weaning any time soon. She still nurses probably 6-8 times in a 24 hour period. Usually not for long, but she demands it often. (She thinks she's in control... she kind of is...) She's eating food but never too much at a time. That girl LOVES bananas and most fruit. Blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe are among the top favs. 

She loves to play with her brothers and she thinks she can keep up with them. If they go running down the hall to their bedroom, she's usually not far behind crawling as fast as she can. She can take steps, but it's not her preferred method of getting around yet. She's a bit wobbly still, but I'm ok with that.  

My girl is such a sweetheart. She can be a little dramatic and sticks her little bottom lip out so far when we say no. She will hug or kiss you if you say "awwww." She loves to play outside, especially in the sand. If she finds a dinosaur laying on the ground she will go "rawrrrr" in the cutest way. She likes to say "go!" and was saying quite a few words last month but this month she doesn't feel like it apparently. For a while she was saying "love you" and it melted us all. She does what she wants, though, she is the princess after all. We call her that, but her most popular nickname is still Nugget or Nugs. She answers to it and her brothers even call her that sometimes.

I wish I could sit here and write down every detail of each stage my kids are in right now. They change so fast. The cute thing they did last month is gone now, and the things they are doing today may be gone soon. Right now, Easton is obsessed with Sonic. He's registered for Kindergarten and has started to learn to swim without swimmies. Every time we get in the car he requests the song "Reckless Love." Maverick tells me "love you too" even when I don't say it first. He is still full of trouble but is much better behaved and loves to be silly. Tucker calls Hadley "Haley Laine," and has a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch every morning. He's goofy and always surprises us with how much he gets when we think he's not paying attention. All three of them like to put on capes and masks and shoot the bad guys with nerf guns. They will play outside for hours and be absolutely filthy and happy. They are sweet boys and take such good care of their baby sister. 

It's always chaotic, but I go to sleep every night feeling so grateful and joyful that they are my kiddos. God has been so kind to us.

Back to the grind, it's lunch time! 💚

Perpetual Winter.

With three boys and northeast winters, we are so ready for spring by the time March comes. To say that we have cabin fever is an understatement. Here it is mid-march and its still snowing, adding to what's already on the ground. I mean, we get excited about 40 degree days, it's that bad.  I went to school near Philadelphia and their spring seemed to come on time. By the end of March, there were signs of life everywhere! Here, it's not until May that we even get to see leaves on the trees.  That's the price we pay for not having to deal with hurricanes, or poisonous snakes/spiders, or tornadoes. I guess we'll survive.

Even though we do have cabin fever, the company couldn't be better. And if you take three seconds to top and start listing the things we're grateful for, the complaining over the weather ceases almost instantly. It's pathetic, really. What do I lack? Sure, sunshine may seem brighter and more joyful, but I have four little sunshines in my house right now, full of life and brightness! And we're cozied up in our small but warm and comfy home, and my morning coffee is still (mostly) warm.  I even have a bunch of songbirds hanging at my feeder lately, including a bright cardinal couple that makes makes me go awwwww.  Long story short, I'm not going to complain!! Life is wonderful. God has heaped his blessings on me and I've got too many to worry about what the weather is doing.

We have a mini-vacation coming up this weekend, though! Two days at an indoor water park will definitely be a pick-me-up! I think I'm more excited than the kiddos. We went last year just for one night and had an absolute blast. The boys are older and will be more independent this year so it should be awesome! Hopefully Hadley will cooperate a little bit. I'm thinking maybe the sound of rushing water will help her pass out when it's nap time. We'll make it work either way. Both sets of grandparents are coming with us and a few Aunts/Uncles so we'll have lots of help!

Other than that, our schedule is pretty light for the next few weeks/months. I like to spend these last few weeks of spring making plans for warmer weather.  I'm excited to get in my gardens and clean up the yard. I had to start my gardens from scratch when we bought the house (5 years ago) and I had no clue what I was doing (still don't!) so I like to add a few new perennials every year.  I've had bad luck with bulbs from Walmart so last year I got a few more mature plants from home depot. I think I'll go someplace local this year and get a few new perennials and a bunch of annuals. I don't ever fertilize them and still somehow my annuals end up really taking off.

Wow, birds, gardens... when did I get so old? This fall I turn 30 so I guess it's okay to have more mature hobbies. I'm not sure that I care, though!! Flowers make me happy. Joanna Gaines likes plants so it must be cool. (She is the standard of cool). And if I don't dream of spring than I start to go crazy with all this gray.

So today, I'm going to plan for our little get-a-way, maybe look at a plant catalog, and fire up the grill in the snow for dinner. Spring is coming!

It's March!

It's March already, how did that happen? I'm not complaining here. These long, gray winters are slowly killing any mojo I have to do anything. We had a few nice days this week and it got me very excited about the spring!

It's been a while since I've updated. My sweet girl is now 7 months old! She's crawling like a pro, eating food, and sleeping in her crib like a big girl. At her 6 month appointment she weighed 17.5 pounds so she's a chunker!! I love it. These cheeks are the best:

She's my little bestie and I absolutely adore her.  She's a total momma's girl (like I usually can't get away for an hour to grocery shop because she has meltdowns). She has the sweetest personality and laughs so easily. She ADORES her brothers and they make her laugh harder than anyone else. She loves toys and is so content on the living room floor watching her brothers play. 

We started solids with her at 6 months but she wanted nothing to do with it. She's doing so much better as of this week. Loving those orange veggies, carrots and sweet potatoes! But let's be honest, she's baby number 4 so she's tried lots of things that aren't exactly on the "list". She is definitely a fan of whatever ice cream mom is having (like a drip, ok? don't judge.)

We coslept for the first 6.5 months but as she was becoming mobile we new that had to change. We transferred her to a crib a few weeks ago and it's going ok, not great. I think she was up like 4 times last night... (insert eyeroll emoji).  Buutttt it's a big change, so I'm trying to be patient. 

Well, I could gush about her for forever but I do have three other kids. 

Easton is 4.5 now and I'm dreading the fall when I have to send him to kindergarten.  He's so smart and sweet. He can write his name now and he loves practicing letters and doing "school work." I hope he loves school.  He's still my biggest helper.  He lets me know when his brothers are being naughty and he goes and comforts his sister if she starts fussing. The bond between him and her is sooooo cute. They love each other so much. 

My heart bursts watching those two!

Then there are the twins. I love these two boys so much. But they are two. And there is two of them. So they definitely make my life a bit more difficult. And exciting. And hilarious. 

They both are such opposites. Mav is loud and always fired up. He talks like a grown up and picks up on everything. He's the first one up in the morning and takes no time to wake up. Tucker is quiet, gentle, and a bit dramatic. He's also strong as a horse and climbs everything he can (and has since he could walk). Lately he's been coming up to me all dramatically and saying "hug" with arms open wide. He loves music and says firetruck the funny way 😉.  They are a blast even if they are tiring. They are still doing great on the potty, but lately they have to go at the same time, one on the big potty and one on the little one. Then they both "wash" their hands which results in my entire bathroom soaked (and whatever isn't soaked in water is probably wet from pee...) Boys are fun. Ish.

There's not much going on in our family right now. We did our taxes, that's pretty exciting (four dependents, woohoo). We booked two nights at an indoor splash park and that's coming up soon. Jer is working tons of overtime. We're working on paying off debt in hopes of adding on to our cozy-but-tiny house in a few years. I've been trying to keep up with the kids and lose this baby weight. I started a 90 day challenge January 1st and as of yesterday I'm down 16 pounds and almost 10 inches. It feels great, but I still have some work to do. I'm ready to do some outside exercise. And by that I don't mean shoveling snow, which I had to do today since we got like 10 inches dumped on us last night.  I'm gonna go ahead and count that as cardio for the day. Anyway, life is good. It's chaos, but so good.   

I'm loving this stage of parenthood. 💚

December Update

It's been three months since I've posted. Any ideas I had about being able to keep up with this was pure naivety.

I have four kids. Four kids four and under. Ain't nobody got time for blogging. I can barely keep them all fed (my three boys already have the appetites of teenagers).

I will at least update you on the basics.

Hadley is doing great. She is happy, and chubby, and oh so adorable! She'll be 5 months tomorrow and I don't know how that happened. She's my best little friend. I cannot get enough of her. She sleeps pretty well, eats really well (she's over 16 pounds!) and has such a happy personality right now. Having a daughter is wonderful!

Easton, the oldest, is my big helper. He turned four over the summer and we kept him home instead of sending him to pre-k and I love having him home. I'm going to ugly cry in September when he heads to Kindergarten not only cause he's growing up, but because he makes my life so much easier! He spends soooo much time with his little sister making her smile or laugh and keeping her safe from her twin brothers. He's sweet, caring, and protective... the perfect big bro! He started Tae Kwon Do this fall (a program just for 4-5 year olds) and it's the highlight of his week. We all fight over who gets to take him to class cause watching a cute little four year old kick and punch and do jumping jacks is just plain cute.

Maverick and Tucker, well, I love them dearly. I do. But man, those boys are giving me a run for my money. They are trouble. Morning until night they are getting into things, spilling, dumping, fighting, breaking. They are lucky they are cute! We also potty trained them in October. I'm gonna be honest, that was NOT fun. The "3 day" method was not accomplished in 3 days, but rather a solid two weeks of pulling our hair out. I'm being dramatic, though. For just being over 2 years old, and their being two of them, they did pretty darn well. I'm proud. The worst of potty training is over though so I'm happy about that.  Maverick is talking like crazy and the things he says have us cracking up all the time. Tucker doesn't say as much, but where he lacks in words he makes up for in facial expressions. What a goober. We love them so much!

The kids are all excited for Christmas especially since we've been getting lots of snow around here. This next week is going to be a whole lot of fun with these four kiddos! Hope you all have a Merry Christmas with your families celebrating the birth of our Savior!

Hadley's Nursery

I had to wait until after Hadley was born to show off her nursery since it had her name all over it. I love the way this room turned out. It may not be the trendiest nursery, but it's something that I really like and that's all that matters. Let's be honest, even Hadley doesn't care right now. 

This was my first girl nursery to decorate but not my first nursery, so I tried to reuse some things from the twins room. I had so much gray and white chevron that I wasn't sick of yet so I incorporated it in her room. I went to Joann's and grabbed 3 other fabrics to go with the chevron crib sheets and carried around pieces of those fabrics for months. My mother-in-law made the crib bedding and quilt... aren't they beautiful? The only piece she didn't make was the crib sheet which was from the twins nursery.  The big H was just a wooden letter from Hobby Lobby that I painted. I planned on doing something more with it but I liked the solid color above the bedding. 

I stole the changing pad cover and dresser from the twins nursery as well and added some mint. I tried my hand at something new and did some canvases with hand lettering. They turned out ok for a newbie! The star light is from Target and is just as cool as you'd imagine with the lights off. I still need a lamp though. That shade-less piece of junk just doesn't fit. 

The cube shelf came from the twins' room as well. The headband holder was one of my favorite things we made. I grabbed a piece of scrap from the garage, painted it, and drilled some holes... it turned out so cute and useful! 

The chandelier was an old piece that my sister-in-law redid for her wedding! She graciously let me use it for Hadley's nursery, really adding some extra glam to the room!

If I had unlimited funds, I would have probably splurged for a white crib and a new rocker but on the other hand, it's kind of cool that I've rocked four precious babies in that chair! I'm a pretty practical person, so I was happy to reuse some of the twins' things. After all, they were less than two years old!

I didn't grab a picture of the window, but my mother-in-law also made a roman shade with the mint fabric. It's super cute!!

I love finally having a girly room in the house!

Six Weeks.

Why must time go so fast? I have good intentions of updating this often but it gets tacked to the bottom of the to-do list.

Hadley is already six weeks old. My twins turned two this month. Easton is getting to be such a big boy.

Slow down, kiddos. Mama wants to soak it all in. 

They are changing so fast right now and I want to do my best to capture all of their cute little behaviors. Like the way Tucker gives me unprompted kisses all day long. And how Mavy goes around the house yelling "Mom? Mommy?" and how when I return from the basement or another room he exclaims "Mommy!" like he hasn't seen me in hours. I want to remember how Easton begs to hold his little sister all. day. long.  Or how he asks a billion questions a day (not my favorite phase) but retains all the information like a little sponge.  He talks like a little adult, too. He's been saying "Seriously?!" like I do all the time and its so cute. I want to remember how Mavy is talking... how he can count to 10 but his favorites are 7, 8, and 9.  And how he sings the monkey song so cute (missing quite a few syllables making it that much sweeter).

They are just awesome. Right now all three are running around with mohawks, cause why not? Its the end of summer and we don't have any important events coming up.

Hadley is doing well...she has a grumpy side of her for sure, and she really only wants me to hold her. But I don't ever get to irritated with her, she's my little girl! My little bff. She knows what she wants and I like that about her, haha. The princess is chunking up, gaining 1.5 pounds between her 2 week to her 1 month appointment. I'm so grateful she is eating well and is healthy. Nothing wrong with chubby cheeks and thick thighs! She will take decent naps in her crib giving me a nice break in the morning usually and sometimes the afternoon. She wants to be right near mama at night, though. As much as I'd like some space at night, I'm sooo happy that she sleeps well. None of my boys did. She will wake twice to eat, usually, but just goes back to sleep like an angel. She's into her 0-3 month clothes and I'm so glad because we have lots of adorable outfits in that size.  I spend way too much time picking out her outfits in the morning.

Speaking of adorable, and capturing it all... we got back Hadley's newborn pictures and family pictures. I am so happy with how they turned out. The boys didn't really cooperate but that's ok, because that's the age I guess. Here are a few of my favorites.

Just look at those sweethearts! I especially love Easton's cheese-face in the family picture. And my girl... what a beauty!

I know I'm repetitive, but I can't help but finish a post feeling so blessed that these are my babies and this is the family God chose to give me. He is so good to me.

Introducing...

I am proud to introduce you all to our daughter, Hadley Laine!

 She was born via scheduled c-section on July 19th at 9:27am. She was 8 pounds on the dot, healthy and beautiful!

Skin to skin in the OR 💗

I cannot put into words how much I love with this little girl! She is absolutely perfect and makes me want to smack the old me who said I only wanted boys. This girl is my world. I can't stop staring at her.  She is so sweet and loves to snuggle. She nurses like a champ and is already passed her birth weight (she's serious about her food, just like her momma!). She's got an adorable but fierce cry that comes out pretty much only during diaper changes and hunger. I could go on about her forever!

More to come...when I have a chance. Life with 4 kids 4 and under is just a little bit busy!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow!

Well, today is my last day of being a mother to three, my last day as just a boy mom! Everything is ready, we just need her!

I cannot wait to see her face. I want to know if she'll be dark haired or blonde, or if she has Mom's features or Dad's. Will she look like any of her brothers? How much will she weigh? I am thinking she'll be a peanut, less than 8 pounds. Will she have a birthmark? Will she recognize her Momma when she's laid on my chest?

There are worrisome things, too. Will the guy poking my spine be good at his job? Will there be any complications with the surgery? Blood loss?  Will she cry right away? Will she latch okay and gain weight? My mind is spinning today with questions!

But I have family, friends, church family covering me in prayers. I have support, encouragement, and a hand to hold from my husband. I have a big, big God who has a plan for my life. I will rest in that today and tomorrow until all these questions will be answered.

I'm ready for her.

Momma can't wait to meet you, baby girl! Let's do this!

So Close!

It's almost time! I'm used to the last few weeks of pregnancy dragging on forever, but this is flying by. I'm less than 4 days away from meeting my daughter.

I have a few last minute things to do... switch around some car seats, pack my hospital bag, get my nails done (#priorities), finish some laundry, and clean some random things around the house that are bugging me (nesting much?).  I have about as much motivation as a pot-smoking sloth but I every once in a while I get a few bursts.

I have only a few small details in the nursery to finish but it's good enough for now. I want to share pictures but her name is plastered all over in the room so I guess it will have to wait a bit. Her name isn't really a secret... I tend to tell anyone that asks... but I've kept it off social media so far so I have to make it the last few days!

Meanwhile, my boys are making the last few days fun...ish. They have all been so snuggly! Even Maverick who is not at all a momma's boy has been giving me random kisses and climbing up on my lap to sit with me. It's so sweet. Easton keeps asking to feel her kick and lights up when she does. I think they will be besties. On the less fun side of things... Tuck has figured out how to open the refrigerator and take his pants and diaper off.  And Mavy is obsessed with sneaking into Baby Girl's room to throw around all her socks and jump in her crib. He can't even get her door open but he manages to convince Tuck to open everything for him. Seriously. I watched him "ask" Tuck to open the refrigerator yesterday... he pointed and mumbled some twin language and Tuck clearly got what he was saying.  They are something else. I'm hoping they get it all out of their system now so that when I'm sitting down for a 40 minute nursing session maybe they will just play... hey, a girl can dream.

Honestly, for being 39 weeks pregnant I'm feeling pretty good. Maybe the twin pregnancy was bad enough to make this feel easy. I still sleep pretty well and I'm not 100% uncomfortable all the time. I'm not nearly as swollen as I was the past two pregnancies, and I'm thanking my central AC for that. I really can't complain. (and if I did it would be about the fact that no one brought me potato skins and tortellini with alfredo sauce last night... cause man, that woulda hit the spot) I'm trying to soak in all her kicks and hiccups while I can since this may be the last! I'm so grateful to God that he's had his hand on me this whole pregnancy and it has gone so smoothly. What a blessing!

Well,  I better go muster up some energy to at least empty the dishwasher or fold the laundry that's been in the dryer since yesterday.  Next post should have pictures of a beautiful baby girl! 💗

Single Digits!

I'm not thrilled that I'm having a c-section, but at least I there's the perk of knowing exactly when she's coming! I can't believe it's a week from tomorrow! With the twins I assumed I could go in to labor at any point past like 36 weeks, so it seemed like the longest month of my life from that point until actually meeting them on my due date. But now I'm so close with an end in sight! 

I had a little nesting phase yesterday with this random burst of energy. It's not very often anymore that I feel up to tackling big tasks... it's more clean for 10 minutes, sit down for 10. Not very efficient.  But yesterday I got quite a bit done, including sterilizing all the pacifiers and pump parts. Not sure how much I will use the pump but at least it's ready. My hubby hung this pretty chandelier in baby girl's room yesterday and it looks awesome! I organized my bedroom and made sure the rock n play will fit next to my bed. Lots done, not much left to do! 

But today I wanted to post about my first born! It was his fourth birthday this past weekend and I want to make sure I remember this stage of his life, cause oh my gosh- I love it! 

Four years ago I became a mother to my sweet Easton. That first year was rough... we were up all night, I worked full time, and I was trying to get the hang of this motherhood thing.  Fast forward a bit and that little guy is my best buddy.  He is my sunshine, my helper, my sweetheart! Like literally right now, he just found a cardboard box on the kitchen floor and asked if he could go throw it "in the 'cycle bin" for me. All day long he tells me he loves me and thanks me for even the simplest things I do for him.  The newest compliment is "Mom, you know you're my favorite girl in the world?" I hear that all day. I mean, he will use the same thing for his grandma's or aunts but still. I hear it the most, and it absolutely melts my heart. It's saddening to know he will grow up and I will embarrass him and make him mad.. but for right now, I'm his favorite girl in the world! 

Any mom would love to have him as their child. He cleans up his dishes without being asked, he hardly ever gives me attitude, he's easy going and happy, and he dishes out the sweetest compliments. I mean, he notices when I put nicer clothes on or get my nails done and always tells me I'm so pretty. Not to rub it in, but that 3 year old stage that everyone dreads? Never really had it. He was an angel. (Don't worry, the twins make up for it... I'm not walking down easy street by any means). 

He wanted a Cars birthday party so we had that for him on his birthday. It was all family and I made baked ziti, cause it's his favorite thing in the world. He lives off of yogurt, cheerios, bananas, and pb&j, but if I happen to make ziti (with penne noodles only... he won't eat anything else) he will demolish three plates of it. He helped me make cupcakes for his party because he loves to bake! 

We got him a ton of Super Mario things since one of his favorite things right now is playing Mario Kart with daddy. He has to have Luigi and the "monster truck with big tires." He finally got his remote control Grave Digger he's been asking for since last fall, a set of Transformer Rescue Bots and a bunch of Lego sets. His tastes may change, but I doubt Legos will be going anywhere. Between the three of them, I am prepared to step on sharp little plastic blocks for the next 10 years or so. Oh well, I wanted boys! 

It was a great party and he was so good about it all being over the next day. Even as an adult, I get bummed when my birthday is over... but he was fine. He had lots of awesome toys to play with so he was happy. 

I'm so blessed that God chose me to be his Momma. He truly makes my life soooo much better and my days so much sweeter.  Happy fourth birthday, Easton! We're so proud of you and we love you so much! 

And We're On in 3...

Three weeks from right now I will most likely be in a bright OR meeting my baby girl!

I am so ready.

Anybody who has ever been pregnant knows the drill for the last few weeks of pregnancy. It's long, and you're exhausted, and anxious, and sore, and waiting! I'm definitely there. At least there is an end in sight!

Up until this past week I've been keeping up pretty good. I got to take my kids to the zoo last week and before that I took my oldest to his first theme park! I hit a wall this week though... I have hardly any energy and my body just aches all over. When I try and clean around the house, I have to sit down every 15-20 minutes and just rest. I remember getting to this point with the last two pregnancies... I hit it a bit earlier with the twins so I'm glad I made it this far! But I've never had to keep up with 3 kids at this point in the pregnancy. I'm not going to lie, we're heavily relying on entertainment at this point. Don't judge. My kids can go from wild and crazy to sitting down quietly in half a second when I hand them my iPad. In fact, they found my phone and are huddled around it right now watching Ryan's Toy Review (insert eye roll...).  But I don't care! I'm finishing my coffee and this while they rot their brains watching a rich 5 year old give his opinions on the latest toys... seems fair. Anyway, with less energy to clean I can spend some more time sitting on the living room floor with the boys playing or reading. I need to just deal with a little bit of mess around the house for a while.

Little Missy's nursery still isn't quite finished. I just need to hang the wall decor and make some sort of headband holder for her growing collection. I did, however, manage to get pretty much everything washed and ready to go. The rock n play and swing covers are washed, my Boba wrap is clean, and the car seat is all adjusted and ready to go! Speaking of car seat... my mother-in-law has been on a roll with sewing and has made so much for baby girl. The bedding set and quilt were done by her along with a bunch of headbands and leggings. Oh, and a matching roman shade for the nursery, too! Well, she begged me to let her rip apart the car seat cover to make it girlier. I was skeptical, and told her the brown was fine, but she wanted to tackle it! I'm so glad she did... how cute is this?!

She basically took the old cover and ripped off the top layer to put new fabric on it. It's still the same cover and padding so there are no safety issues to worry about. The picture makes it hard to tell, but the gray fabric has metallic little hearts on it and I love them! It took me a ridiculously long time to pick out fabric from JoAnn's (especially since I was trying to coordinate with my gorgeous Copper Pearl multi-use cover!) but I'm so happy with how it turned out. She did such a great job!

So we're pretty much ready! I still have to sterilize pacifiers, bottles, and pump parts but I have time. She'll be here before I know it, right? Maybe... time does seem to drag during the last few weeks.

I still can't believe I'm going to have a daughter! Three weeks, baby girl! Momma's waiting for you.

Four Weeks Left

Can that be right? Four weeks? That doesn't seem very long at all. Weeks seem to be flying by at this point.

I have a bunch of things that need to be finished up, yet my energy is waning. It seems like doing one load of laundry and keeping the boys fed is a full day's work.

My sister likes to remind me, though, that all you need is diapers and your boobs for a while. I suppose she's right. We all get caught up in making the nursery perfect and hanging decor and buying the cutest outfits...but let's be honest, most of it is unnecessary.  And baby girl won't care one bit.

But I have to fill my time while I wait for her! 😉

This was last night's project:

My mother-in-law and I spent a few hours last night with a vinyl cutter and some gorgeous glitter heat transfer vinyl. I love the outcome! The pictures don't do the glitter justice... they are soooo sparkly. Except for the big brother shirts, no glitter there.  In the first picture you can see a sneak peek of the crib bedding!

We still need to finish another onesie or two and her hospital hat. Gotta have stuff personalized!

Things are coming together. The house looks like a hurricane came through, but darn it, her nursery is looking great! I can only do so much. I suppose I should focus on throwing away some toys getting my house clean with my remaining energy. But for now, it's snack time for the boys and time to take the little monsters outside to burn some energy. They are driving me bonkers!

Gettin' Real!

I just went back and read my last post and I cannot believe how much has changed in just under 3 weeks.

I mean, here we are at 35 weeks tomorrow! I now have the date and time our daughter will be born, I now have pictures of her, and I even have two painted rooms. Heck, her nursery is almost finished! So lots to update you on.

Let's start with her pictures! We went a couple weeks back and had an elective 3D/4D ultrasound done so we could see baby girls precious face a little early. We ooo'd and ahh'd at her for a solid 30 minutes and it was wonderful! We got to see her practice her breathing, stick her tongue out, and even yawn! We brought along my mom and mother-in-law, and two of our sisters. We are so blessed to have family that is so excited with us. This is far from the first grandchild on either side and yet they all are so thrilled and happy about her coming. So anyway, here are a few of the pictures!

That last one isn't a good shot of her face, but her hand cracks me up. She's either irritated with the tech poking around in her space or she was greeting us with the "live long and prosper" sign. 

While we were watching, pretty much all of the family agreed that she looks just like Maverick. Out of all three boys, he's got the "prettiest" features if that makes sense. Long eye lashes, big blue eyes, a sweet little face. I mean, all my boys are handsome, I'm digging myself a hole here. Anyway, I think she's gonna be a beauty! It was awesome to get a little preview of her face. *Side note: the ultrasound tech said her nose won't really be that big, all the babies look like they have huge noses on these scans. It was reassuring. *Another side note: we made her check, it's still a girl! I think I actually believe it's true now!

Alright, moving on. We painted the boys room a few weeks ago and got them all moved in together. I was so worried about how that would go, but honestly, it's been a breeze! They mostly stay in their beds and sleep just fine. Mav has been getting up super early again but that's pretty normal for him. I wish he would let Tuck sleep in but, of course, he wakes up and goes directly to his bro's bed to wake him up. Tuck doesn't love it. Tuck likes his sleep.  Tuck takes long naps to make up for it. 

Speaking of naps, I snapped this picture today. Mav woke up about an hour and a half into his nap and crawled into bed with Tucker. I figured he would wake him up, but instead, he passed out next to him. It was precious! 

How stinkin' cute are they?! They are trouble, sooooo much trouble, but they do stuff like this and I just melt. I love my boys!

We also painted the nursery! Ok, well I painted the nursery. My husband hates painting and avoids it like the plague. I don't mind it. It only took me a few hours (the wall paint, that is. The trim took foreverrrr) and I was mostly happy with it. It seems to have some bluer undertones that I don't love, but I'm wondering if that was just because I painted over green paint. I don't know. It's ok. Now that I have the crib and bedding all set up, it's all coming together. I hang some stuff on the walls and make some sort of headband/bow holder, but we're getting there. I'll be sure to post pictures when it's all done. 

As far as the pregnancy goes, not much has changed. It finally decided to get warmer here so my feet and ankles have swelled up a bit. She still moves like crazy and is flopping around in there as I type. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and all is well. We got our surgery time and all the paperwork for that. The doc was trying to get me to sign a tubal consent form "just in case" I decided I want one but Jeremy was there and neither of us wanted to go that route. It's not the kind of decision to make when you are only "pretty sure" you are done having kids. It was crazy to be handed paperwork with dates and times... this is really happening! 

I'm so ready for her. Up until this point I've been pretty nervous, knowing that this will be a real challenge for me with four kids. But I've embraced it now... goodbye sleep, goodbye sanity! I want my baby girl in my arms! 

5 more weeks!

Eight Things.

This morning I thought it would be fun to change it up a bit. Here are eight things on my mind this morning.

1. One precious baby girl. She's almost always on my mind lately. How can she not be with the jabs I'm feeling all day long. I don't mind though. I know feeling her move will be the #1 thing I miss about being pregnant. After all, this is my last! (I think...).

2. Two days until our ultrasound! I get to see my sweet girl's face in 3D in just two days! I am amazed at the technology that they have now. I mean, I will practically have her portrait before she comes into the world. It's kind of cheating, but I'm dying to see her! I had ultrasounds at least every month with the twins, but with this pregnancy I've only had three total, one of them being an elective scan to find out gender early. Now if I can somehow drink double the amount of fluids for the next two days, we can get better pictures. I might as well just hang out in the bathroom...

3. Three butts. I'm going to have three kids in diapers so soon. If the challenge of potty training twins didn't terrify me I'd attempt it before baby girl comes... but I don't think I have the patience for that right now.  Instead, we'll just spend our retirement money on diapers... I hope one of the four kids will be extra sweet and caring and let us live in their basement when we're ninety.

4. Four walls to be painted, times two rooms. One gallon Pencil Sketch gray and one gallon Japanese Koi orange. I'm no interior designer so fingers crossed that they turn out like the picture I have in my head.

5. Five loads of laundry I should get done today. I won't, but I need to.  If I'm having this much trouble keeping up now, what will I do when I add a newborn into the mix? Not only will I be busier, but will have another set of pooped on clothes to wash. Why does my washer have to be in the basement? It's soooo far away. My lungs are too squished to make it up and down those stairs like 10 times in a day.

6. Six weeks until my firstborn turns 4! How is that possible? I can't hardly remember life before him, but 4? He'll be starting Kindergarten next year (cue the ugly mommy sobs). I love the age he's at right now though. You can have such interesting conversations with him lately, and he says the funniest things. He picks up so many phrases from us and doesn't always use them correctly so it's hilarious. When all the kids are being crazy, my husband will say, "We're falling apart" and now Easton will do the same when the twins are going crazy. It's funny watching your 3 year old regurgitate your own words in his own way.  I asked him yesterday what he wants for his birthday party and he said a race car birthday, or a tractor birthday, or a "Woody and Buzz Lightyear" birthday.  He has quite the list of gifts he wants... he's just like his daddy. At the top of the list is a remote control Grave Digger monster truck (for a mere $75...yikes).  Since I will be very, very pregnant at that point, he may have to settle a bit as far as the party goes. But thank God he's a very grateful boy and will love it all no matter what he gets.

7. Seven straight days of 12-hour shifts. That's what my husband just finished. I know he's gotta be exhausted... I know I am! I'm way to pregnant for that nonsense. These kids wear me out! I'm so grateful for how hard he works, though. If it wasn't for his drive and determination to provide for us, I would definitely have to at least work part time to make ends meet. He busts his butt so I can raise our kids. I snagged a good one!

8. Eight Weeks. That's all! Eight weeks until we meet our baby girl. Technically, since my c-section will scheduled one day before my due date, we're down to seven weeks, six days. What a mix of emotions. Thrilled and terrified at the same time. There are perks to having kids so close together, right? They will be best buddies and fight play together, right? What if she never sleeps? How will I keep up with 3 little boys? Coffee, I better stock up on coffee. And find a new game on my phone for late night feedings. I got as far as I could on Candy Crush during Easton's nightly feedings. I don't remember what I did for the twins at night, but during the day I blew through 12 seasons of Grey's Anatomy while nursing. So now I'll need a new obsession! But I'm getting ahead of myself. I have so much to do until then! No time to waste...better go get started on that laundry!

💜 55 days!

31 Weeks

I got out my laptop this morning around 8:30 fully intent on writing an inspired blog post. Apparently, I got distracted. Can't imagine why... house full of kids and dirty laundry and a trail of soggy cheerios across the dining room floor. But anyway, I'm making a comeback now and maybe I will get it finished before I pass out from another day of being Mom.

These recent days of being Mom have been a little rough. I'm slowing down a bit and my preggo brain is making it impossible to focus on one task at a time. My poor son has to ask me for something like 6 times before I actually remember to get it for him. So if my kids are slightly dehydrated, it wasn't on purpose, I just can't seem to follow through on getting a cup of water for them (ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic but you get my point, right?). I'm also trying to fit in little projects here and there  making it even more difficult to focus. I started painting the trim in the nursery and so far have spent three kids-napping sessions in there. I need about two more, and until then the paint and brushes are still going to sit on my bathroom counter. But hey, progress, right!?

I did have my sprinkle last weekend and it was wonderful! I was so blessed and still can't believe I was opening presents that were pink! I want to post pictures, but we had baby girl's name plastered all over so I'm going to leave them out for now. Just know that it was a wonderful time and it made me feel like this is really real now! Now I'm even more anxious to get the nursery set up.

On the list of projects for that (besides painting) is some sort of headband/bow holder, some DIY canvas art, and painting the letter for above the crib. My sister is letting me borrow a gorgeous re-purposed white chandelier for the room too. I was nervous to put it above her crib so I decided I can put it above the rocking chair. It has a dimmer and everything. Oooo, and I have a star nightlight to put in there too. So many precious things... it's no wonder I'm excited to get it all set up!

In other news, my kids have been especially fun these past two weeks or so. I don't know if it's my lack of patience/energy or that they are just little stinkers. But they know just went to be super cute and give mom an unsolicited kiss to make me forget how much they are driving me crazy. For instance, the other night I asked Easton to take the twin's shoes off after we got home late one night. I started getting everything ready for bedtime and he did so good getting both shoes and socks off. He wanted to keep helping since Dad wasn't home for the bedtime routine. We got the boys in the bedroom and he wanted to change a diaper (he's done it once or twice with a lot of help). He was being so sweet, so of course I let him. He did great and barely needed help, then asked what else he could do to help. He helped me find two binkys and I told him to say goodnight to the boys. So what does he do? Goes up to Tucker, wraps his arms around him, kisses him on the forehead, and says "Goodnight Tucker!" and then does the same to Maverick. It was so sweet and genuine and adorable I almost cried. With all the fighting they do, it was so nice to see that he really does love his brothers! And it was just like he knew he was man of the house that night and had to fill in for Dad. Since then he's been asking to help a lot and I just love it!

Tucker, I think, can sense that things are changing. He has been so attached to me, which is sweet, but he's a big boy and my lap is getting smaller every day.  Maverick is just doing his best to make sure I'm still getting in exercise every day. He's into everything and has been getting up earlier and earlier every day. The new thing is they both wake up (usually before 6:30) and get out of their cribs. Then the go turn the sound machine off and see what they can get into in their room before I wake up. Silly me thought a darker curtain in their room would make them sleep in later! Ha. They are lucky they are cute at 6am! Usually, I drag myself into the living room and turn on cartoons so I can wake up slowly while they watch Blaze or Paw Patrol. They always fight over who gets to snuggle with Mom first thing in the morning. I don't mind. That reminds me of another sweet moment this week. The kids were watching a movie right before nap time (Monsters Inc, a current favorite). I came in and sat down after cleaning up lunch and both of the twins came and sat on my lap. I don't think we sat there for a whole five minutes before I they both passed out right on me. This is the kind of stuff that makes it all worth it.  It brought me back to the many days when I had two tiny sleeping babies snuggled up on me. Sweet memories, sweet boys.

Alright, before I go, quick update on baby girl.  I had an appointment last week and everything went really well, thank you Jesus! She seems to be doing great and my body is doing its job. The doc hasn't said anything, but I've noticed my weight continue to go up. I think I'm at about 30 pounds now, which honestly, is normal for me. With Easton I gained about 50 and lost like 40 of that in the first few weeks after birth. Same thing with the twins. I'm not really worried, I'll get it back off again... just stings to step on that scale every two weeks. The important thing is that baby and I are healthy. So far everything is going perfect. I am so grateful for that.

I just made an appointment with an elective ultrasound place near me for Saturday. It's just for fun and totally unnecessary, but we will have some 3D pictures of her sweet face (assuming she cooperates). I'm so excited to get a glimpse of her! I will be sure to share pictures next time I write.

57 days!  💜

10 weeks and counting.

Guys, I gotta be honest. These hormones have been getting the best of me lately. I'm not a super emotional person when I'm pregnant, normally I am kind of mean and distant instead. Like, don't hug me. Don't breathe on me. Don't be stupid. Leave me alone. And don't worry, my poor kids and husband have been seeing that too, but with this pregnancy I've also had a few of those break-down-and-ball-like-a-baby moments. It's relatively new to me. I don't know if it's different hormones cause I'm having a girl, or just like emotional overload from being pregnant AND having three little people bugging me ALL. DAY. LONG. I love them so much and they are so stinking cute but they have been really pushing my buttons. Between that and my husband working a lot lately, I'm drained.

But as always, it doesn't take long before I stop having pity parties and realize how blessed I am. Even when I type all this out I think to myself, Stop whining, you're being annoying. Your life is awesome. It is pretty awesome.

I'm about to have stuffed crust pizza, so that's the cherry on top tonight.

Want to know what else is pretty exciting and awesome and wonderful?!?!? We have decided on a name for baby girl!!!! Pretty late in the game for us, but still early for some people I guess. Want to know what it is?

I bet you do. 😉

For now, my lips are sealed. I haven't decided if we'll share the name ahead of time or not. We always have, but I'm thinking we may keep this one quiet until her birthday. We'll see. I'm flaky lately. (it's really bad...)

I mean, with a scheduled c-section, everyone will know when she's coming so I need to keep one thing a secret! And by a secret I mean like just not putting it on facebook. Family and a few friends already know. I'm just not good at being quiet. And we only decided on it like this week. Oh well. By July I'm sure there will still be a few people who haven't heard yet.

Moving on. Let's talk pregnancy symptoms for just one second. **Future Hannah, if you're reading this, this is for you, in case you get baby fever again at some point in the future. Four is a good number, pregnancy is HARD, tell your ovaries to calm down.** We are definitely past the point of second trimester bliss when each kick and movement is met with an awwww. At this point, I'm almost reprimanding her to chill out. I don't know how a less than 3 pound little baby can be so strong. I read the info for this week, week 30, and one website told me that my baby is running out of room and her kicks won't be as strong. Are you kidding me? Maybe my uterus is just so weak from carrying twins, or maybe that article was written by a 50 year old single man. Either way, I have felt kicks the last two or three days that practically make me lose my breath. And I swear she's stretched out like she's laying on a hammock on a nice summer day.  We won't even mention the literal pain in my butt (sciatic-ish pain I guess) and the squished bladder. I honestly like being pregnant, but I'm glad we're getting closer to the end... kind of. Ten weeks seem like a long time right now.

In other news, my sweet Maverick dumped my entire 32 ounce bottle of water in between the couch cushions yesterday, which would have been fine if I wasn't hiding my phone from him in, you guessed it, the couch cushions. So unless day number two in rice performs a miracle, I am down an iPhone. First world problems, I guess. I will survive.

Ah, life is good.

Here's to week 30 and it being bedtime!

Eager.

I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm ready for baby girl to be here, because I don't think I ever will be ready. Four kids four and under is not something you can prepare for, I don't think. But I can say I am eager. I am eager to meet her, hold her, dress her!, love her.

I feel like I'm at a standstill as far as preparation goes. It's a bit too early to start washing her clothes and blankets or packing a diaper bag. I normally would have at least painted her nursery by now but that requires kicking big bro Easton out of his room, and again, it's a little too early for that. I'm struggling to find anything constructive to do right now that will help me feel like I'm starting to get ready. I'm just eager. Waiting.  I mean, what is there to do at 28 weeks pregnant?

Yesterday I had the first of my every-two week appointments! How can I be there already? Even though it was a relatively boring appointment, I left there thanking God that it was boring- no things to worry about, no complications, nothing out of the ordinary. Praise Jesus. Her heartbeat was strong and beautiful and I found out I passed my glucose test! Again, praise Jesus. I did not want to have to take that again- yuck. I am a bit low on vitamin D but that can be remedied. And my third trimester heartburn showed up right on time last week so I'm taking something for that as well. Other than that, I'm doing great! For being almost 29 weeks pregnant and having three little boys running around my house, I'm doing darn well I think. I'm keeping up with them and the house for the most part and still sleeping well. I really have nothing to complain about.

Except maybe the weather. Seriously, I may not survive another week of 50's and rain. But that's just me being petty, I guess.

In other news, I have a small family "sprinkle" coming up for baby girl! I repeatedly told my mother and mother-in-law that it wasn't necessary... but I'm not going to lie, I'm excited for it! My church is throwing me a shower in June as well. The people in my life are so sweet and caring. I am blessed!

So anyway, for now I will be enjoying time with my boys and counting down the days until little missy's arrival! 78 to go!