Smiles and a Dose of Reality

Last week I took some pictures of LJ and captured a few smirks and smiles!!  It's hard to know if these are real or just, you know, gas.  After all, I Man was a bit older before he was really smiling but these are cute just the same!

 

(his serious face)

 

  

Those were the best smiling pictures I could get before the big kids came to join in on the fun...

 (she adores him, can you tell?)

 

 And while it's hard to deny how much they love their little brother...

 

 this, THIS is reality.  In his face all. the. time!  LJ doesn't usually seem to mind, in fact, he will fuss when they finally leave him alone as if to say, "where'd they go?"

 

but when he gives me a look like this, I wonder what exactly he's really thinking!  :)

Currently ~ L

Every month or so, I hope to write a bit about my big kids 'right now' using -ing prompts.  An idea I stole from my friend Lesley, who else?!  :)  So, here goes...

 

losing her first tooth, finally (she's been waiting for this!)

wearing hats, like Grandma

kissing, patting, talking to and holding her baby brother

reading all on her own and without being asked

playing outside a lot

trying to catch bugs (who knew ants were so hard to 'catch'?)

writing lots of stories

singing songs from Frozen

finishing her Kindergarten year

asking to take the pool out

getting along and playing with I Man nicely (for the most part!)

wanting to watch Sophia Grace and Rosie's Royal Adventure again

looking forward to VBS, art class and swimming lessons this summer

A Boy and His Cape

I Man is 100% boy, and like all little boys, I suppose, he loves super heroes.  He can often be found with a cape around his neck, playing 'Super I Man' (with his real name though, not actually I Man).  While this generally means that he is 'flying' around the house and/or jumping off the ottoman with arm outstretched, he has also told me that his super power is helping mom and dad (score!!).  I put this to the test one night by asking him to be my super hero by laying quietly in his bed even if he wasn't sleeping so that L could fall asleep at a decent hour (this is quite a feat for him on days when he has had a nap!).  Guess what?!  We didn't hear a peep out of him that night!  Super I Man to the rescue, indeed!! 

 

Oh and when I had LJ outside with us one morning and the teeny tiny leaves on the tree weren't providing enough shade for the little guy, Super I Man knew just what to do!

And this time, he wasn't even wearing his cape!!

Thirty Four Days Ago

When LJ was 10 days old, I took these pictures...

 

 And he had such tiny fingers,

 

 and toes,

 

 and the cutest little nose!

 

 And at 10 days old

 

 he already had a limit to his willingness to let me take pictures.  :)

 

 But I took them anyway,

 

 and I will post them,

 

 and print them,

 

 and scrapbook them, too.

 

 Because, someday I'll have a hard time remembering...

 

just how little he used to be.

 

Ok, so LJ is still little, obviously, but he is getting bigger everyday.  How could he not with the massive amounts of food he's consuming (especially at night, sigh!).  In fact, his little arms and legs are getting chunky and he no longer fits in his newborn sleepers!  I still can't believe how little he used to be just 34 days ago!

10 Signs that I'm Surviving

We have a newborn.  I am not a fan of newbornhood newborndom the newborn phase.  It is by far my least favorite part of having a baby.  You see, I need a lot of sleep and there's just not a lot of that with a newborn.  Especially when you have two other kids at home, too.  Honestly, LJ has been a good baby but I had gotten used to our family of 4 and having older, fairly independent kids.  So, this whole 'we have a baby who depends on us for everything and demands our attention 'round the clock' has taken its toll.  But, I think I'm beginning to come out of the newborn fog (or at least I hope so) and here's 10 signs (in no particular order) that I just might be surviving this newborn phase!

10.  I'm blogging!

9.  We have done school 3 times this week.
(in all fairness, we were pretty much done with our curriculum before LJ arrived but because April to August is a long time, there are a few things I'd like to continue and this week, we are!!)

8.  I vacuumed.
(aside from cleaning bathrooms {because...ewww}, and laundry {we wouldn't want anyone going commando} I have done little more then dishes and occasionally picking up in the last month and since it has been weeks since my mother in law vacuumed for me, it was time.)

7.  I quit nursing and am enjoying the freedom that bottle feeding brings!!
(read:  I can sleep longer than two hours at a time)

6.  I'm almost caught up editing and sorting pictures to print.

5.  I can make it through the day without NEEDING a nap.

4.  I made a meal plan, ordered groceries AND got them all put away.
(we can eat again!!)

3.  I've found my sense of humor.
(yeah, I guess the vibrator on LJ's bouncer does make a funny noise as it's dying, even if we just put him back to sleep in it after an early morning feeding.  Ha, ha, ha!)

2.  I'm only asking a couple times a day why God doesn't make babies who sleep through the night at birth.
(you know, as opposed to 17 times a day)

1.  I'M BLOGGING!!
(tell your friends, just kidding!)

It sure is a good thing that newborns are so cute and snuggly!

Scenes from Month One

Alternately titled Baby Photo Dump

 

As you might imagine, since becoming a family of 5 we have been BUSY.  Like BUSY, busy.  It's been just over a month and yet it's hard to remember what life was like before Levi (who will be known on this blog as LJ from now on).  But I have been taking lots of pictures in hopes of giving LJ a baby scrapbook of his own.  I'm also attempting to resurrect this blog in hopes of remembering all the little things that happen in the blink of an eye when you have a baby in the house.  So, here are a few snapshots from the first month...

 

2014, So Far

Hello, World!  Yes, we are still alive and well.  Not that you would know it by the looks of this blog.  Here's an update for you on our lives in 2014, so far.

 

January - we went to Disney World.  It was awesome!  Check out my photo book here.  I Man turned 4 and we celebrated with a superhero birthday party.

February - we put bunk beds up in L's room, celebrated Valentine's Day and lots of birthdays (4 cousins and an aunt)!

March - we moved the kids into the same room (they were over the moon and even had a 'same room, same room; clap' chant - should have gotten a picture/video of that!!) and set up the crib.

April - we had a baby!

 

 

Yes, less than 24 hours after posting this picture stating, 'Thirty Nine Weeks and also, spring has sprung!'

 

I posted this one which said, 'Thirty Nine Weeks and One Day. #itsaboy'



After 12 hours of labor we welcomed this sweet baby, Levi Jerroll into the world.  He was born at 12:20pm weighing in at 5lbs 12oz and measuring 19.2 inches.  Our first impression of him was that he was SO LITTLE and that he looked just like big brother I Man!

These two came later in the day to meet their little brother and while I Man was unsure about the whole thing, L was smitten at first sight!



And just like that, we were a family of five!

 

A small hiccup called 'jaundice' meant Levi and I would spend one more night in the hospital.  He in this billi-bed and me on a fold out couch.  But thankfully, one night was all that was required...



and we were home by 11am the next day. 



 

Stay tuned for more on life with baby!