More from February

In case I didn't say this in my previous post, Buddy is officially standing up at every opportunity. He's not yet 9 months and he is ever so mobile. All he wants to do is walk! Claire is enjoying ballet and getting ready for her first recital. Evelynn is into talking up a storm (which usually involves repeating everything her sister says), and would probably rather swing than do just about anything in the world. We have had a fairly good February despite Buddy's short fever virus and are looking forward to spring!

February Post

Amazing! It is February and I am posting pictures from - February! The month started with our first sickness in quite a long while. Buddy had a fever virus lasting several days that kept us up many many nights in a row. That led to separation anxiety and a baby who refused to sleep unless he was being held even when nothing was wrong, so we moved into tough love mode. Boy am I glad we did!

For as long as I can remember, he has had this routine of waking 30 to 45 minutes after being layed down at night. He just wants another minute (well, 10 minutes) of rocking and holding. It already takes 2 people to put kids to bed in our house. Evenings here are CRAZY! Geoff gets home at 6 and goes straight to shower since he has been swimming. I heat up his dinner while he showers and when he gets out he eats while I bathe Buddy. Then he comes and gets Buddy and gets him ready for bed while I start the girls' bath and get their jammies and books layed out. Then I go to nurse Buddy and put him down while Geoff bathes the girls.

Once Buddy is asleep, I come get Evie ready while Geoff gets Claire ready, and then we have reading time with the girls. About a month ago we finally managed to fully combine the girls' bed reading routine. They used to have different tastes in stories due to their ages and attention span differences and Evie used to go to bed slightly earlier than Claire. It has been a big relief to have them both do a joint reading time and go to bed at once, because there is now the possibility that one person can handle their bedtime (though this rarely happens). However, even with their time combined, there was still the issue of Buddy waking partway through their reading time and Mommy having to go rock with him for another 10 minutes or more, meaning evening outings for either parent have been an impossibility for 8 months.

Thankfully, Buddy has been Ferberized in the last few weeks and he is now fully down for bed at 7. This means FREEDOM. I haven't taken advantage of it yet, but it means a girls night out for Mommy is coming really, really soon. The difference between being able to leave the house around 7 and not being able to get out until 8 is HUGE! I cannot wait to enjoy it.

Okay, enough of our evening snapshot, here are some pictures to enjoy...

 The girls always fight over the middle seat in our car. Yes! We still drive a sedan (hatchback) and we bought carseats to fit 3 across. It was such a good decision though I would actually love a minivan at some point for the convenience. Anway, the girls have finally figured out that being in the middle is not all it is cracked up to be, largely because Buddy has figured out that he can reach them pretty well with his feet. I hear an unending refrain of "No Buddy!" from whomever sits in the middle now, but they still fight over it each time we get in the car. 

 Every afternoon from 2:30 to 3:00 I get some one on one time with Buddy in his room. To the right, I used olive oil to get the last of the cradle cap out and took advantage of the oil to style him right!

 All kids love to wear their parents' shoes!

 He now thinks playing UNDER the exersaucer is way more fun than being stuck in it and unable to get out and about.

 Helping Daddy weed the front flower bed

 This boy is in constant motion. He does his swimmy crawl, moves into the "downward dog" yoga position, sits up and then finds something to pull up on. I'm afraid we are going to have an early walker on our hands... 

Play time with our neighbors and good friends! There's nothing like having a 4 yr old and 3 yr old right next door to create some good times.

A Mom's Reflections

The number one phrase I hear when I am out and about with my three babies and no Geoff is, "Boy! You have your hands full!" I'm sure you have thought the same thing many a time while viewing pictures from my day to day adventures. Managing all the many challenges of a three and a half year old, two year old, and 8 month old is more than a full time job, and there are moments when it doesn't seem at all possible that one person can handle all of it. Those are the moments I call Geoff at work and tell him he just HAS to come home as soon as he can before I just lose it. More often than not, by the time he gets here I'm back on my feet and have forgotten what the problem was that instigated the call. That just seems to be life with three little indians.
The other phrase I know I have heard (and quite likely ignored) is, "Enjoy these moments - they grow up so quickly!" I look at my 8 month old standing up and grinning at me in his bed. He's been awake for awhile and turned his mobile on and off a few times. He's got four nice big teeth and is playing a little game waiting to see when I will actually respond to the noises he's making. I mark my three and a half year old's most recent growth on the wall only to turn around and realize that my two year old is quickly catching up. I hear the two of them babbling in the other room and everything they say is creative and making sense. And I think, yes! they grow up so quickly!
Pictures only tell a portion of the story and there is so much that is precious about their lives that I really want to preserve. I hope to be able to write more on the blog so that I can remember all the moments that make life as a mom worth all of the less picture perfect moments. For instance...
I don't want to forget that Claire's first full sentence went something like "Daddy big toots all time." I mean, how cute is that? (Sorry, Geoff)! Or that at 3.5 she says she would like to be a Princess Mommy Doctor.
I want to remember the adorable way that Evelynn says "Nope" and "Ineedhelp" and (even though she knows how to say it properly) "Bup!" when she wants to be held. I want to remember what a little "slammer" she is at this age - how she is forever dropping (not at all gracefully) into any open lap of anyone in her vicinity. How she always says "Un moor tiss" (one more kiss) to Daddy as he leaves in the morning regardless of how many times he has already kissed her.
I want to remember that my girls love their dolls and blankets, but that they never go to bed without at least one book to sleep with (even though there are usually already piles of books under their covers). Once we finally get past Claire's articulation issues, I want to remember the sound of her little voice with all of those words and thoughts that only mommy can understand. I want to remember Evie's little chipped teeth. Not to mention all of the early milestones Buddy is hitting now. His crazy crawl that looks like he is swimming. His love of shaking his head from side the side. That all he ever seems to want to do (besides pull up and stand) is play with or in the dog bowls.
My children are a reminder that life is about change and growth and joy. I have my hands full and I wouldn't want it any other way.

January Post

Because it is taking an inordinate amount of time to upload photos this evening, I'm simply going to leave you with a long string of photos. It is my full intention to start actually blogging very soon so that those who enjoy our pictures can also have a written snapshot of our days here once in awhile. There are many milestones that can't be shared in photo form that I'm sure you would enjoy. Until then, please enjoy some pictures from January!