Thanksgiving Week

We had a fun Thanksgiving week! Monday was full Thanksgiving school events. Samuel had his Pre-K Thanksgiving Feast. They did a little show for the parents before we ate. He had been singing the songs all week and was so excited for his special lunch!

Nathan also had a Thanksgiving play at school on Monday. I'm so thankful I was able to make it to both of their school events and that I had a good friend who was able to keep Elisabeth for me. Nathan's play was super cute. They told about the First Thanksgiving and then sang some fun songs.

Samuel wanted to wear his Pilgrim hat to Nathan's school.

I'm so grateful to get to be involved in the kids' school activities.

My grandparents came into town on Wednesday afternoon. Katherine and Grandaddy took a nap together.

While they napped, the rest of us played Fast Track. The boys are getting good at it!

Since Aunt Sydney spent Wednesday night with us, Nathan slept with Samuel. I thought it was adorable that he wanted to sleep in the same bed with Samuel instead of sleeping on the top bunk.

My little turkeys were excited to celebrate Thanksgiving.  I sure am thankful for them!

This little girl was thrilled for her first Thanksgiving. Three whole days of extra arms to hold her. She was in heaven.

We spent Thanksgiving at my parents' house. We ate and visited and played. It was a good day! This little girl was in a turkey coma (more like hot dog coma) when we got home Thursday night.

We took family pictures Friday morning and rewarded the kids with ice cream for doing so well during pictures.

Friday night we decorated the Christmas tree. The kids were SO excited and did a great job- no broken ornaments this year.

Our busy day wore these two out!

We had a low key Saturday after all our company left. We had a movie night Saturday night and watched Cars 3.

Sunday morning our church had a combined church service with our Coweta campus. The kids were excited because they got to ride a school bus to the service.

This boy is the best big brother around

And we celebrated this Peanut's two month birthday on Sunday! She's our joy!

Matt ended up going to Urgent Care after church on Sunday and came home with a Strep diagnosis, so the kids and I were on on own on Sunday afternoon. There were some crazy shenanigans in our house on Sunday.

After Elisabeth's nap we walked to the playground to enjoy the pretty weather. We stayed for almost an hour and the kids played so well together. I loved that they were all playing with each other (and no fighting!)

I enjoyed some Sunday night snuggles with the best baby around. 

It was the best way to end the weekend.

A Day in the Life

Here's a day in the life of our new normal as a family of six!

3:15am- Katherine wakes up to nurse. She's good about going back to sleep right after she eats, and I just feed her in my bed.

6:15am- Nathan comes down and gets in bed with me. Katherine is about to wake up too, so I feed her enough to hold her over until I can get ready and get a few things done and then get up for the day.

6:45am- Our morning officially starts. I get ready for the day, make breakfast for all the kids (Nathan has pumpkin muffins, Samuel eats cereal, and Elisabeth eats cheese toast, cut in the shape of a heart), pack lunches for Samuel and Nathan, feed Katherine again and get her dressed, pick out and bring down clothes for the kids, fix Elisabeth's hair, and supervise everyone getting dressed, chores finished, teeth brushed, and faces washed. Somehow I also find a little time to eat a quick breakfast too. I'm super lenient with screen time in the mornings and let the kids watch their kindles when they're not busy getting ready for the day. It works for us, and I don't feel bad about it.

Thankfully, Baby Sis is usually an angel in the mornings after she has her breakfast. She's content to chill in the swing while I take care of everyone else.

8:50am- Everyone is fed and ready and we load up in the car. I drop off Nathan at school and then drive to Elisabeth's ballet.

9:20am- Elisabeth's ballet class starts. Once she's in her class, I run Samuel to his school and then head back for the rest of Elisabeth's class.

10:00am- Ballet is over. We drive to the doctor and I feed Katherine in the car while Elisabeth eats a snack.

10:40am- We have an appointment for Katherine's two month well check. We read a book in the waiting room before we get called back.

Our sweet baby is a tiny peanut but perfectly healthy and a rock star for those awful shots.

11:30am- The girls and I are back home for the day. Daddy is actually home sick, so I check on him and make lunch for Elisabeth. She requests soup for lunch. I eat lunch too.

12:30pm- We head upstairs to play for a few minutes before naptime. Elisabeth pretends to build a house on the couch.

1:00pm- Elisabeth goes down for a nap. I usually put her down closer to 12:30 on Mondays since we have to pick up Samuel for school, but since Matt is home, she can stay with him when I get Samuel.

While Elisabeth naps, I feed Katherine, and then she has some tummy time while I tackle laundry.

2:15pm- Elisabeth and Matt are both asleep, so Katherine and I slip out and pick up Samuel from school

2:40pm- We're back home and Elisabeth is still napping. Samuel asks to play with play doh.

3:00pm- Elisabeth wakes up and the kids play until we have to leave to pick up Nathan

3:50pm- We leave to get Nathan from school. The kids always like to do ninja tricks in the car while we're waiting on him.

4:05pm- We're back home. I feed Katherine and then make dinner.

5:00pm- Dinner time- I just reheat a freezer meal (enchiladas) that I made before Katherine was born.

6:00pm- I take the kids upstairs for baths. Nathan and Samuel always get out as soon as they are clean, and Elisabeth likes to stay and play for awhile.

6:30pm- Nathan does his homework and Samuel and Elisabeth play downstairs.

7:00pm-Nathan asks to play Monopoly Jr. I supervise while I feed Katherine.

7:30pm- The kids get their kindles for night night shows

7:50pm- We head upstairs for bedtime. We always brush teeth, read a Bible story, read books, practice AWANA verses and then I tuck each person in bed. Nathan and I read a chapter of Charlotte's Web in his room, and Samuel likes to pick out an extra book to read when I'm in his room. The whole process takes FOREVER, but I know those bedtime moments are important, so I try not to rush through anything. Matt takes care of Katherine while I finish up bedtime.

8:45pm- The three big kids are in bed. I do a few things to get ready for bed and then feed Katherine and snuggle her until she falls asleep. She the best little cuddler after her bedtime feeding, and I always have a hard time letting her go and laying her down.

9:45pm- All four kids are asleep. Sometimes Matt and I will stay up a little later and watch a show, but he's exhausted because he's sick, and I'm exhausted because I've had to be single mom while he's recovering, so we both go straight to sleep.

I heard a quote once about how "These are the best days of our lives, and we don't even realize it," and I have a feeling that's what these days are. They are busy and tiring and stressful, but they are also full of the sweetest moments and memories, and I know I'll look back on them with fondness when they're gone.

Two Months Old

Sweet Katerine, you are two months old! We cannot imagine our family without you in it. All five of us are obsessed with you. Someone is always wanting to hold you or play with you.

You are our tiny little peanut. At your two month doctor's appointment you weighed 8lbs 10oz (2%) and were 21.5 inches (6%). You're on your own little growth curve and growing steadily, so we think you're just going to be a petite little girl.

 You're still wearing some newborn clothes, but they are starting to get snug. Your three month clothes swallow you a bit, so we're sort of in a transition with clothes for you. We just used our last newborn diaper, and you are officially in size one diapers.

You usually eat eight times per day and get a one oz bottle after all of your feedings except in the middle of the night. You are still a great nurser. You eat every 2.5-3 hours during the day and usually have a 6ish hour stretch at night. You usually have your last feeding around 9 or 9:30 and sleep until 3:00ish. For about a week you were making it until 4:00 before waking up, but I guess that was a fluke. Then you're up again around 6 ready to eat again. You sleep in our room (and probably will for a little while longer), so I just grab you and nurse you in bed and then lay you back down when you're finished eating.

You are smiling all the time at everything and everyone. You have this adorable open mouth smile. You'll smile at anyone who interacts with you, and you smile at the light too, ha!



You've slowed way down on dirty diapers (no one is complaining). Now you only have a dirty diaper every other day or so. Unfortunately, they no longer stay in your diaper since you store it all up. Most of the time these days a dirty diaper involves a bath too.

You are cooing and talking a little too.They are the sweetest sounds. You light up when anyone talks to you. I love that you're such social bug. Your brothers and sister love it too. They are always playing with you and asking to hold you. You are a loved little girl.

You don't have a super consistent nap schedule (fourth child problems). You don't ever sleep for a long period of time during the day unless we're in the car or I swaddle you. Otherwise you just take short little cat naps off and on during the day. You're happiest in the mornings and will be content to be by yourself in your swing or your rock and play.

Really though, you just would love it if you were held all the time. You're usually not a huge fan of lying on the floor. It makes you mad a lot of the time.

You love your pacifier, like really love it! We don't go anywhere without it.

You're most demanding in the evenings. If you're not sleeping or eating you want constant attention and get upset if you don't get it. Loud noises and sudden movements scare you and you have an awful, dramatic cry whenever any of that happens. Thankfully, you settle down fast.

You are the sweetest thing and I'm soaking up every moment of your life. We love you Katherine Grace.