Tulsa State Fair

We had a great day at the Tulsa Sate Fair last Friday. Matt has had a busy month at work, and after all the overtime he put in, he decided to take a day off when things slowed down. We took advantage of the extra day with him and spent it at the fair.

We had SUCH a great day. There were so many fun things for the boys to enjoy.

We spent most of the morning walking through the Expo center. We always stop and let the boys ride the play horses.

A police car, ambulance, and firetruck all in one building is a little boy's dream!

Matt commented that this better be the only time the boys are in the back of a police car :)

Elisabeth came along for the ride. She was so good all day at her first visit to the fair.

Both boys had a ball at the firetruck exhibit.

They also had a little play grocery store set up that the boys enjoyed.

After we finished touring the expo center, it was time for lunch. Samuel especially seemed to enjoy the fair food. Nathan got fixated on some cotton candy he wanted, and only ate about half of his cheese on a stick.

After a trip to the cotton candy booth after lunch, we did a quick tour of the livestock building. Samuel made all the animal sounds for the animals he saw. Nathan seemed a little bored. Samuel definitely enjoys animals more than Nathan.

Elisabeth was starting to get hungry, so we headed over to the kids' building, so the boys could play while I fed Elisabeth. We hadn't been in that building of the fair in several years, but it was awesome for our boys. They had a blast. We could have spent all day just in that building.

Samuel played in the giant sand box for a long time. We think he's going to love the beach next year!

They had a fun slide and ball pit that Nathan played in for awhile.

They also had an area of legos, and blocks that we skipped out on, but the boys loved the little "driving" area full of Little Tikes vehicles. I also made four trips to the bathroom with various children while we were in the building. It was a reminder of the season of life we're in right now :).

The boys were getting tired after we finished in the kids' building, but we had to get Matt's Nitro ice cream. We allow ourselves one lunch food and one treat at the fair each year, and he gets that same ice cream every single year.

He had some help eating it this year.

Since Matt had earned some extra overtime pay, we splurged a little and let Nathan ride a few rides. We bought enough tickets for Samuel to ride too, but after we had our tickets, we realized he was too short to ride anything, so Nathan got to ride some extra rides.

He said riding the train was his favorite part of the fair.

While Nathan rode rides, Samuel and I went to get one last treat for the day.

I told you he was a fan of fair food!

We saved a few bites for Nathan when he and Daddy caught back up with us after the rides.

I caught a picture of Super Daddy transporting all three kids.

It was way past nap time and the boys were exhausted from their fun day.

We've been able to visit the fair every year we've lived here. It's a fun tradition and gets more fun every year!

Apple Picking

We took a quick trip to Weatherford last weekend to spend some time with my grandparents and for Momoo to meet our Elisabeth. While we were there, the boys got to pick apples from Granny and Grandaddy's apple treat. It was a fun treat.

Nathan had watched a show about apple picking, so he was an expert telling everyone how to do it and getting on to Samuel for picking up the ones that had fallen on the ground :).

Samuel had more fun eating the apples than picking them. At one point he started picking apples out of the bucket, taking a bite, and then putting it back in and getting a new one to eat. He was very possessive of his apples too, refusing to let them go while he was eating.

We brought home a whole bucket of apples. We've been snacking on them, eating them with peanut butter for breakfast and making applesauce.

Elisabeth will have to wait a couple years to help with the apple picking, but she thoroughly enjoyed all the spoiling while the boys played outside!

18 Months Old

Samuel, you are 18 months old. From here on out you are closer to being 2 than to being 1, and that makes your mommy a little sad. Two sounds so old! You are certainly growing up and are at such a fun stage. I just love your cute little personality!

You seem to get fixated on a certain toy these days and engage in a lot of repetitive play. You love blocks and will stack them up, take them apart, and repeat over and over again. You also will put toys in a bucket or container then dump them out and start over. You can get stuck playing with a toy for 30 plus minutes, something your brother never did and still doesn't do.

We dropped your morning nap this month. With the craziness of adding Elisabeth to our family, there just wasn't time for it :). You didn't take a morning nap during the week you stayed at Grammy's house, and we were really inconsistent with it, the first week or so, that you were back with us after Elisabeth was born. Then when you took a nap one morning, you only slept for 45 minutes during your afternoon nap, and I decided to drop it, so you could take a longer afternoon nap. You're doing great with only one nap per day. I put you down a little earlier in the afternoon now (between 12:30 and 1:00), and you usually sleep for 2 hours.

At your 18 month check up, you weighed 26 lbs, 11 oz (50-75%) and were 31.5 inches long (25-50%). Your head is still in the 90%, and your daddy and I realize that every time we try and get a shirt over your head. You are wearing 18-24month clothes. Your Fall clothes are mostly 24 months and even 2T. You have big feet and are transitioning into a size 7 shoe.

You are talking up a storm, saying all kinds of new words. You will repeat almost anything we ask you to. Nathan sure thinks that's a fun game to play with you. You recently learned to say the "L" sound and you love to say it. Dolly and Yellow are your favorite words right now. We've been working on other color words, but you usually just love to say yellow.

And you love playing outside and working on your baseball and golf skills.

You are still fascinated with water. Washing your hands and brushing your teeth are your favorite things to do. We've also had to watch you with your sippy cups, because you enjoy tipping them upside down so the water will drip out and then playing in it. We've had to limit drinks mostly to when you are in your high chair.

You like to "jump." You bend your knees and then straighten them and put your hands over your head. You haven't figured out how to get your feet off the ground yet, but it's certainly adorable to see you try!

You love to dance to music. Your favorite songs are "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider." We have a cd in the car, and the minute we buckle you in your car seat you start saying, "Railroad" until we turn it on.

You also recently starting saying, "ta, da." You raise your hands over your head and exclaim, "daa" anytime you do something you're proud of.

You've learned some new animal sounds this month too. Grammy has a monkey towel at her house, and whenever she wraps you up in it after your bath, you always start making the monkey sound.

You have adjusted really, really well to your baby sister. There are times when you want to be held the moment I pick your sister up, but that's really the only strugglesI've noticed with you. You like to play with her, pat her, and bring her her headbands and pacifiers and toys. You are such a big brother. You two are going to have so much fun growing up together! 

We love you so much Samuel Jacob!

One Month Old!

My precious Elisabeth Kae, you are a whole month old!

Oh how I wish you knew how thankful I am for you, my daughter. I think I've dreamed of having a daughter almost my whole life, and it's incredible to get to live that dream now and care for and love you.Your brothers are nothing short of spectacular, and I absolutely love being a boy mom, but there is a unique bond between a mother and daughter, and I'm thrilled to share that with you. This last month has been difficult and trying but also so very wonderful. Every time I look at you, I'm overwhelmed with thankfulness for the perfect gift you are.

You look just like your big brother Nathan. There are times I stare at your face and it brings back all the memories of when he was a newborn.

You are nursing every 2.5-3 hours during the day and usually need an ounce of formula after most daytime feedings. Your personality is already showing and you are good at letting us know what you need. Your feeding patterns and personality are similar to your Big Brother Samuel. You make it very clear when you are hungry and are just as clear once your belly is full. It's helpful for us to know your needs. You eat 8-9 times per day. You are a pretty efficient eater and nurse for about 20-25 minutes per feeding just like he did.

You always fall asleep when you are nursing, but almost all the time you are in a light enough sleep that you continue to eat while you are snoozing. I love that nursing is relaxing and comforting to you. You wake up after you eat especially when you are ready for your bottle, and then nap again after feedings. You are pretty sleepy but are having more awake periods as you get a little older. You are sleeping well at night. You usually have a 4-5 hour stretch between feedings and then go back to sleep and have another 3ish hour stretch. You usually have your last feeding of the evening around 9:00-10:00pm and wake up to eat around 1:00 or 2:00am and again around 5:00-6:00am. 

Little girl, you love to be held. I can tell you really crave human touch. You only will tolerate short periods of time without being held if you are awake. You'll lie on your playmat for a few minutes at a time (a little longer if your brothers are playing with you), and occasionally you'll sit in your rock and play by yourself, but you always prefer to be held. It makes it difficult to get anything done or tend to your big brothers, but I'm trying to take it as a reminder of what's important. I know you are growing to grow up way faster than I want you to, so I'll cherish the cuddles and snuggles and overlook the dirty floors and sink full of dishes. Thanks for helping me keep my priorities straight.

Your favorite way to be held is upright with your head resting on our chest. A few months ago a friend recommended baby wearing as a way to manage three little ones. Grammy gifted us with a really nice baby carrier, and it has come in handy since you've been here. We wear you during walks to the playground, during grocery shopping trips, and a lot of times in the afternoons and evenings when you are fussier and the boys are needier. You are so relaxed in it and usually fall right asleep.

You are wearing newborn clothes and newborn diapers. We had a doctor's appointment when you were 10 days old and you weighed 7lbs, 3.5oz. At your one month appointment you weighed 8lbs 14oz and were 21.5inches.  I'm glad you're not as big as your brother and we are getting some good wear out of your newborn clothes. They are all so cute!

As a third child you are learning to go with the flow and be adaptable with your schedule to accommodate our weekly activities. You've been to Story time, taken Nathan to school, church, and today was your first Bible Study.

I'm still trying to figure out how you prefer to sleep. I didn't swaddle you much the first couple weeks of your life. You would sleep soundly enough that it didn't seem necessary. In the last week or so, you've had a little more trouble falling asleep, so I pulled out your swaddle blankets. You seem to enjoy being swaddled, so we'll probably stick with it for nighttime sleep. I rarely swaddle you for naps.

You take a pacifier pretty well unless you are hungry, then it just makes you mad.

You don't like your bouncy seat, but you do seem to enjoy the swing. We keep it upstairs in the playroom so I'll put you in it when I'm upstairs playing with Nathan and Samuel. You'll look around for awhile and then usually doze off. Your brothers like to swing you fast. I have to watch them closely when you're swinging. They also like to bring you toys to entertain you.

You have yet to sleep in your crib with your beautiful bedding. For now you sleep downstairs in our room in your Rock and Play. You nap there too. Someday when you get bigger, you'll get to sleep in that fancy crib of yours!

Elisabeth, I hope you always know how much we love you. You are the best surprise of my entire life. I will always be thankful that God brought you into our family. You are a constant reminder that His plans are always better than my plans.

Four Weeks

Our little girl is four weeks old! Time is funny with a newborn. It already feels like she has always been with us, and four weeks feels like forever. But at the same time, it also feels like it was yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. Some days have been long while others have flown by. Each week of her life has been different, bringing with it unique challenges and blessings.

Her first week at home, Matt was off work, and  the boys were with my parents. Before she was born, I thought this would be an "easy" week. After all, I was used to taking care of two kids by myself, and we only had one this week, and Matt was here to help. This week turned out to be one of the most difficult weeks though, and I am so very thankful my parents took care of the boys that week. Adding them into the crazy mix, would have made things immensely more difficult. My mom also brought us dinner every night too, so I didn't have to worry about cooking. They were such a blessing to me and Matt that week. Elisabeth had high bilirubin levels when we left the hospital, and so we spent most of her first week trying to get that taken care of. That included early morning trips to the hospital for lab work, photo therapy lights, and visits from a home health nurse. Thankfully, she only had to be on the lights for about 24 hours, and it cleared up quickly. It was still a stressful week keeping appointments, phone calls from doctors, and worrying about her. I had hoped to avoid the lights, but it turned out to be a great decision. Elisabeth didn't mind them one bit, and she slept so good under them. I don't know if it was the warmth or the white noise from the machine, but she loved it! That first week also brought some struggles with nursing. Honestly, if she wasn't my third baby, I would have probably given up. But I knew that the first weeks were rough and then everything would get so much easier. I trusted the process and persevered when she refused to latch and screamed and screamed or when she fell asleep two minutes after she started eating. We had two really hard days and then things improved drastically, and we have been mostly smooth sailing with her. We are having to supplement some with formula because of milk supply issues. Since she's my third baby, I'm more at peace with that too. I've realized after having the same issues with all three babies, that it's just the way my body is, and it's not a big deal to give her a few ounces of formula a day. I'm not a failure because I can't exclusively breastfeed. I'm thankful that if I was going to have an issue with my body, that it is this. We've been able to get pregnant easily, had healthy pregnancies, carried my babies to full term, and had healthy deliveries. I can handle a few hiccups with nursing.

 Headed back to the hospital to get her poor little heel stuck

 

 We surprised Nathan with a bike when he came to visit Elisabeth one afternoon

 Our light up baby

The boys came home the when Elisabeth was eight days old. The second week as a family of five has been one of my favorites. Matt was still off work, we were done worrying about jaundice, and Elisabeth was eating much better. It was a good week all around. Our Sunday school class provided meals for us that week, so I didn't have to worry about cooking, and we also got to look forward to seeing friendly faces every evening. Since Matt was home, I was able to get a nap most days in the afternoon, so I was feeling somewhat rested. We got out of the house a few times too, which helped me feel more human. We went to the library one evening to get some new books. Elisabeth had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, we went to the mall to get Matt's watch repaired and let the boys play on Wednesday, and we went to Wal Mart and ran a few other errands on Thursday. With Matt's help, getting out of the house felt much more manageable. We had a fun week adjusting to being a family of five.

The next week Matt had to go back to work, and that week was rough. Thankfully our Sunday school was still providing meals for us, but being at home with all three kiddos by myself all day was a little overwhelming and that week was definitely an adjustment period. I don't think the boys cared or noticed many changes, but it was tough for me. Also, that week we had zero plans which made it harder for me I think. We had nothing to do. It was the last week of summer, so our Fall activities hadn't started, and our summer activities had ended. I know it's hard to get out of the house with the kids, but having a few plans and things to do would have helped. We stayed home all week. We got out once or twice for quick errands, but the rest of the time we were home. I love a day where we stay home in our pajamas all day every now and then, but all week was a little much for me. It felt like a really long week. I didn't think Friday would ever come. Samuel caught a little bug that week too, so he wasn't feeling good and was extra clingy. There were times when I felt like I wasn't a good mom to any of my kids because I couldn't give them everything they needed. I had a little meltdown on Friday night (Poor Matt had to deal with me), but by the end of that weekend, I felt like I had a better handle on things. My parents kept the boys Friday night and during the day on Saturday, so I could catch up on some rest and get a few things done around the house. Matt and I even took Elisabeth to her first restaurant for lunch on Saturday. I felt much better by the end of the weekend.

This last week has been really good. I think it just took a week or so, for me to get used to our new normal. There are definitely still a lot of hard times and crazy moments, but we are all figuring things out. Monday being a holiday really helped. Matt had to work, and I was bummed about that. But since my parents were off work, they invited us to spend the day with them. My parents are so wonderful with my kids that I feel like I'm off duty when I'm at their house. They take care of the boys and let me have a break. I love going to their house :). We spent the whole day with them. My mom and I (and Elisabeth) even got some shopping in, and the boys are set with some Fall clothes now. I was hoping that with Monday being a holiday, the rest of the week would go faster especially after such a long week the week before, and it definitely did. We had some plans that week too which helped. Nathan had his first day of school on Wednesday. Even though I just needed to drop him off, it gave us all a reason to get up and dressed and out of the house. I even showered and dried my hair that morning (That rarely happens anymore). On Thursday we made it to Storytime too. I was thinking that Elisabeth's feeding schedule wouldn't allow us to go, but it ended up being the perfect time. This week has been much better. Elisabeth is getting a little older and getting into more of a routine, and I'm figuring out how to be a mom of three. I'm still trying to give myself grace. I know the boys are watching more TV than usual, and our house is dirtier than normal, but we are all adjusting pretty well and loving being a family of five!

Elisabeth's first four weeks have been packed full of so many special memories. I know I'll look back fondly on her time as a newborn even with all the craziness and difficult moments thrown in. We are so blessed to have three wonderful babies to love and raise.

First Day of School

Yesterday was Nathan's first day of preschool. He was SO excited to start school! He really enjoys the classroom environment, and ever since the Meet the Teacher night last week when he got to see his new classroom, he has been talking non stop about going to school.

Last Spring we pulled him (and Samuel) out of WEE ministry. At the time when we were moving and having extra expenses, it was an easy thing to cut from our budget. I could tell he was missing school, and since he is older this year, I really wanted him to have a chance to attend again. He is going one day a week this year. I switched to a different church that is closer to our house and has a great Pre-K program which we are thinking about enrolling him in next year. I thought this year would give us a chance to get used to the new school before Pre-K next year.

He had a great day. On Wednesdays (the day he attends), they have music class. Nathan loves music which is why I picked Wednesdays for him to attend. He also got to play in the big playroom since it was too hot to play outside. He told me he ate all his lunch, played kitchen, held the door open for his friends, and ate strawberries and animal crackers for a snack. Sounds like a great day to me!

I know he is going to have a great year and learn so many new things. I just can't believe how big he is getting and that we are only two years away from "real" school. These little years go by too fast!