Thankful

I am sitting in a house that is about one more dirty diaper away from being condemned. We have no clean clothes to start our busy week out with, a sink full of stinky dirty dishes, and toys covering every inch of our floor.
But, I have a home.
And I have a family to fill it.
A toddler to serenade our days with giggles and tantrums, silly questions and crazy new words.
A baby to snuggle and love, who poops and cries, but also smiles with every part of her body and I am so in love with every inch of her.
A husband to nag at, cry to, tease and love, even when he belches, snores, and watches football all the time. And watch him with my girls, so patient, and come home to dinner after my long work days, and back scratches at night...best thing in the world.
And me, when I think I am really still 18, with a body I don't recognize (and rather loath), wrinkles starting under my eyes, and aches and pains! What? But I'm only 18 right? Maybe 22. But I do have this gap in my teeth that I love, because it comes from my mom. And all these freckles, even on my hands, because they come from my dad. An ability to shoot a gun, burp, and other things I shouldn't mention, that came from my brothers. A love for camping and outdoors that my grandfather and dad gave me. A dirty mind, I hate to admit, that I think my grandma blessed me with:) And even though I get caught up in THINGS, I have all these PEOPLE who I love.
Time is going by so fast with a new little one. We had a great weekend with some nieces and a nephew staying over, and Hadley is all about being like the big kids. We never knew she was such a rocker!

We played games all night, roasted marshmallows, hot chocolate, cooked big breakfasts, bowled, ate candy, then ate more.The baby wasn't starved for attention with Kyleigh around!There's that rocker face again.My new joy Wesley Ann is showing hints of giggling, so I spend many minutes a day making a ginormous fool out of myself for a little sample of her new laugh.



Picture overload!
Little Miss Sassy has been on a roll lately, being so grown up and repeating EVERYTHING we don't know we say. We were at dinner the other night and Curious George had accompanied us. Hadley "I got lots a milk in my boobs!" and lifts up her shirt and nurses George. Good thing she was on the INSIDE of the booth! And there is "when my daddy was a little girl", "my gramma will buy for me it" and "no Mom, I don't want my baby to come!"

My new recipe suggestion: Chocolate Triffle We made this recipe today for our first of 3 Thanksgiving dinners, and it was a big hit!

*lovelies*

our yearly fall drive
our pumpkin pickin party:
cousins...these two remind me so much of each other
Kari's love of everything itty-bitty
pregnant bellies-I almost miss it! My cousin Cali and baby Boston
grandpa+horse time
all these silly kids and my wonderful Mom and Grandma, who puts on this fun party year after year. It has been such a fun tradition! As we keep saying..."Maybe next year we will do something different" but its always so much fun.
Kari, Mom and I snuck off with our families Sunday night and took some quick, cold pictures. Here are some of my favorites of my family:


Not sure what I love more here: the girls lovin each other or their Daddy right behind them helping out

(more on flickr)
Today I took Wesley in for her 2 month check up, she is already 12 pounds and has grown 3 inches! As I am typing here, she sits on my lap and is feeling the side effects of all her shots today, poor girl. Tylenol just isn't cutting it.
AND I am back to work, 2nd week! Its actually been nice, socialization, time away from home, and some feeling of importance besides bum changes. It really makes me a better mom to miss my kids a little bit. But...the messy house, lack of time, getting home late, late dinners, late bedtimes...I guess it evens out in the end.
EXCITED for Halloween! Now, with my day off tomorrow if I can only make 4 costumes, get the house tidy, and make it to the grocery store it will be a good day.

sick with the fwu

Being sick is no fun. For anyone. But I do envy her ability to bounce back, for here I sit with one tired burning eye open, barely able to lift my fingers to type, I am so tired, and she is running around, giggling and doing crafts (play-dough, which we keep in her "cwaft box" which really only has that and pipe cleaners!)Pretty good for throwing up every hour till 2!

10 things I love:
*my new love. Wesley Ann. She is cooing and smiling. Its strange how when babies start to smile, their little frowns also become so much sadder, and I can't help but giggle when she is so hungry and sticks that lip out with her little whimpers. And this is Hadley, about the same age. I think they could be sisters!
*tutus and bed-head and "my dance cwass"
My aunt Denice bought Hadley her "pwetty pwetty tutu" when she was visiting over the summer. At the same time Hadley has been taking fashion tips from her cousin Paige, who wears a swimsuit under EVERYTHING 24 hours a day. Well, this pretty tutu has now become pjs, undergarments, and playing at the park attire (complete with cowboy boots, of course.)Well, she must be dancing in her sleep because HOW DO YOU DO THAT TO YOUR HAIR CHILD???? And in her little imagination, she has a dance class. And she has now started doing PYMNASTICS (gymnastics) like her cousin Payton and rolls around on the ground pointing her toes.

and lots and lots of dress up

*Brent. Oh Brent. There are many sides to Brent. Some I would like to lock up in the closet...time-out for life! But there is this sweet daddy side that I love, and it melts me when I get the chance to catch a little glimpse. When he reads Hadley books before bed. Or when I am reading her a book, and he brings Wesley in and we all sit on the bed. When he eats her belly like corn on the cob. When he lets her sleep on his chest, breathing in his face, after catching her throw up in a bowl. When he gets home after a hard day of work and picks up Wesley and she is calm instantly (actually, I kind of don't love this because its usually after I have tried EVERYTHING to calm her, for hours! How does he do that!?) Or how he waits to pull out of the driveway in the morning until he sees Hadley poke her little head out the window (destroying the blinds) to wave good-bye to him.
*Pumpkin flavor. In everything. Lotion, coffee, bread. I think I would wash my sheets in pumpkin detergent if I could find it.
*Good friends. And Farms. And giggly little toddlers.



We almost got kicked out, the girls would pick up pumpkins, scream at how perfect they were, then CHUCK them.

*My new jogging stroller, and for about 45 minutes every other day, My "old man shuffle" jog. I am trying to get out, but really, slap some saggy bottom jammies on me, with my hunch back, small shuffled steps and wheezing...Lets just say Id fit right in at the senior center.
*Day old popcorn. Why is it so much better in the morning?
*My baby is 6 weeks old, and still wearing maternity pants. Oh wait. I HATE THAT! See "old man shuffle"
*Grandparents. All of them. I love to watch the way they interact with my girls, and the quirky things Hadley says about them.
*My time off with my girls. This 8 weeks has gone by so so fast. There are times when it is so hard, I have no time for myself, and if I clean up dress ups one more time I will scream. And when they both get mean and ornery at the same time. And WHY cant they sleep at the same time? But I love it. I go back to work on the 20th, and I am not looking forward to it. I know once I do, it will be nice to have a break from being mommy, and to have a little bit of my independence back...and honestly, I am BROKE! But I hate the thought of leaving them.
And how it just took me 2 hours to start and finish this, complete with 4 bum changes, three drink orders, blowing up 4 balloons, dancing to "Toddler Tunes", 2 cups of coffee, one pumpkin chocolate chip cookie, and two games of Freecell while videos and pictures upload. THAT is why my posts have been few and far between! Now, maybe a shower and 3 girls naps. Hopefully.

melting my heart...

I have been playing around with some different birth announcements. Honestly, I don't LOVE the one I sent out (or am in the process of sending out!) but I was at my limit (mentally) deciding on them, so I picked one and printed it. Not going to post it here, waiting to get them all in the mail. But here was one of many that I made up that didn't make the final cut, but funny story. The night I had taken this picture, I thought maybe Hadley had gotten to the baby when I wasn't looking because she had this big red mark on her arm. Took me forever to realize she had given herself a HICKEY!!!

My brother thought this was a postcard with an elf on it: I absolutely love this picture, wishing I would have used it. hmm.
And the moments that are melting my heart, my babies first smiles. Not gas, smiles. Not really smiling at me, either, more like something behind me, up over my head, my glasses, or angels, but nonetheless, a smile

And yes, Hadley loves her baby sister, and LOVES to show off her silly face.

lessons learned

1. babies are so much easier than I remember

2. TODDLERS on the other hand...not easy.

Miss 2year old learned very early on that when baby is nursing its party time. Here is one of her masterpieces, every item from the family room, every kitchen chair. Her castle. Many times a day we end up with a wonderful castle.
3. We went to dinner the other night to a somewhat crowded steakhouse. When we got home, I went to the bathroom and caught a glimpse of myself while washing my hands. "BRENT! If your wife's nursing pads are sticking out of her bra so they are visible through her white shirt...YOU LET HER KNOW!!!" How embarrassing.
4. There is never enough kisses, cuddles and loves in a day. I love to kiss these girls.
5. Up until Aug 26 I had one baby. A cute little sassy girl named Hadley, and she was just so damn cute with her little hands, and her cute little nose, and sweet mouth for kisses, loved to hold her while she was sleeping...just my baby. Then...I came home with Wesley. Instead of coming home to my first baby, I came home with my baby to a KID. With huge hands, and adult sized diapers (really, I feel like I am changing a 14 year olds bum...potty training hopefully this week)not to mention talking back, messy, germy, stinking HEAVY kid! with sweet kisses. And BIG tears. That i love!

a week in pictures

We had a couple hairy days with Hadley when we brought Wesley home, as in she was kicked in the head, hit, nearly tipped out of her bassinet, smothered with a feather pillow...I can't turn my back for two seconds! But after a few days of lots of loves, special attention from mom and dad, and keeping things more routine, she has adjusted so well. She has been so cute with her, looking for her the moment she gets out of bed, keeps kissing her and saying "she wuv me!" and being my nursing buddy (she even "helps" by resting her hand on my boob and giving a lil squeeze now and then!) I never thought of my baby bouncer as a baby catapult...but I am learning, as we all are!
Wesley so far has been a wonderful baby. Hadley as a newborn was a huge adjustment, and I remember hours and hours of crying, inconsolable probably out of not knowing how to console her, up every 2 or 3 hours, nursing was awful, colicky, awake all night crying and thinking JUST GO TO SLEEP!...Wesley has latched right on, is so calm and mellow, easy to console, the last 2 nights has slept through the night (yes I feed her in the middle, she just goes right back down) she only squawks a little when she wants to eat. The hard adjustment for me has been well, one, Hadley adapting, but two, telling myself that laundry and clean house is not important...to just sit and enjoy this squishy lil munchkin and enjoy my girls as much as possible! (a big step for me...I hate dirty laundry!)




Trying on the baby's clothes