scoot-scoots

C-baby is now mobile! She'll occasionally crawl on her hands and knees, and is really starting to cruise more now that she can pull herself up to standing. But, her primary mode of transportation is the scoot-scoot.

I love how she has her own unique way of doing something. It reminds me of A's mouth nod. And, I know it's bound to happen, but I will be so sad when the scoot-scoot goes away.

check (her) out

Grocery shopping with C (and A & E) - June 25

 

Grocery shopping with C - October 10

 

It won't be long before she starts begging for candy in the checkout line, just like her sisters.

crazy is the new normal

This morning, I called my mom on the way into the office to tell her about the previous 15 hours of my life. How an argument over a bracelet turned into E giving A nursemaid's elbow, leading to a dinnertime trip to UrgentCare trip for A and daddy, leading to a full-on meltdown from E when she saw A got a Happy Meal on the way from the Urgent Care because A was soooooo lucky. How, for the fifth morning in a row, C has decided that the 5 o'clock hour would be an awesome time to start the day...and E thought she'd just finish up the rest of the morning in our bed. How I discovered that A and E have been taking baths but neglecting to wash their hair or use soap when doing so (though, in her defense, A said she did soap "a leg" on Monday).

When I finished my recap, my mom said, "It's always something over there, isn't it?" And, it's true. Life with three kids has definitely gotten crazy. Getting the stars to align where everything is running smoothly seems pretty impossible.

Since I haven't printed out/framed any pictures of all three kiddos together yet, I made a quick collage of my favorite Instagram pics taken on my iPhone and printed it out for my desk at work. Every time I look at it, I have to smile.

Life might be crazy...but it sure is a lot of fun.

alive and kickin'

So, it's been pointed out to me that it's been quite some time since I last posted. And, sure, I said in the last post I wrote (which was over a month ago) "Alas, I am going to make an effort to post more regularly." I think we can all agree that was a big fat FAIL.

In my defense, we were busy! We spent a week at the beach, which was no small feat since John insisted on going to Kiawah Island...9 hours from us. Then the big girls had Vacation Bible School and I found myself having songs about the 10 Commandments stuck in my head for days on end. The big girls then headed to Camp Grandmom for a week of fun, including swim lessons, tennis lessons, watching the Smurfs movie and numerous trips to Chick-fil-A.

And, C did a lot of growing. And being cute.


The big news round these parts is that I started a new job on August 1st. The job is with my old boss...but the position is quite different (and a lot more technical) than I'm used to. It's also a much bigger company than I've worked for. On the bright side the benefits are *amazing*, and while the commute is crappy, the office is located in a really awesome area. In theory, I could shop at some of my favorite stores or eat lunch at some of my favorite restuarants any time I wanted!

Rather than put the girls back at the daycare, we've got a nanny (who happened to be a teacher at the daycare). So far the transition has been a bit rough. C has gone on a sleep strike, making my otherwise happy-go-lucky babe a bit cranky. And the older girls are "testing boundaries" by hazing the nanny...the Von Trapp children would be proud.

Each day that passes is getting a little bit better...so hopefully I will post a little more. And, if I'm feeling a bit crazy, I'll start back over at Operation: Fit in my Pants, too. Because, unfortunately, I'm in need of a kick in the pants (heh) in that department as well!

what we've been up to...

Jeez...I can't believe that I haven't posted anything since Baby C turned two months old! We've been busy 'round these parts, and add to that there's a certain member of our house who refuses to nap for longer than 30 minutes at a time...and there's not much time for blogging. Alas, I am going to make an effort to post more regularly.

So here's the Instagram version what we've been up to!

 

A learned how to ride a two-wheeler. She basically taught herself while she was at home and E was in school. She's crashed a couple of times, including one pretty bad fall where she busted her lip and gums...but gets right back on the bike. She stopped going to daycare in early June (we had kept her going a few days a week) and is super psyched for K next year.

 

E finished up first grade in high style. She ended up getting awards for Top Wildcat of the Quarter and for the Year as well. So, she was 4 for 4 at awards assembly this year! Quite impressive!

 

C turned 12 weeks on Friday! She is so awesome...just a happy, adorable baby. Well, except for the lack of napping. The whole family adores her. Last night, I got her to giggle by zerberting her belly and giggling at her. Soon all four of us were standing around her changing table listening to her giggle. It was so cute. We haven't recreated the giggles again...but not for lack of trying.

 

As for me, I'm officially a stay at home mom. No, really. I got laid off from my job in early June. Over the phone. While on maternity leave. Yeah, it kind of sucks...but I was unhappy there anyway. I've been sending out some resumes and had an interview or two...so hopefully I'll have news to report soon. But, until then, I'm hanging out with these three cuties. Not too shabby.

eight weeks

Baby C turned 8 weeks old yesterday. She really is a great, easy baby. If you are friends with me on Facebook, then you probably already saw this picture of her smiling.

 

I remember being kind of disappointed when E started smiling...because really? The smiles weren't so big. But, Baby C is a big smiler already. She's also a coo-er which is really cute.

The girls also wanted to get a picture with C. It would have been better if E decided not to go horizontal.

 

Then the girls tried to get her to smile. I got a bunch of those..but this is my favorite.

 

You see, A is a bit rough with C. She loves her soooooo much, so there are a lot of reminders to be gentle and stop touching her head. So, this picture cracks me up because the expression on C's face is like, "OH NO! IT'S THE BLONDE ONE! SOMEONE SAVE ME!"

what we've been up to...

A, Pop Pop, Baby M, Kiki, AJ, Nonna, Baby C, Me, E, John
Not pictured: Uncle Steve

The last week and a half have been so much fun...but so busy. My sister and her family were in town for 10 days or so, so we spent half our time at our house and the other half going down to my parents house (about 40 minutes away). I have discovered that, while Baby C is not an all out hater of the car seat, she is also not the kind of baby that conks out and stays conked out in the car seat. There is some crying and pacifier cramming that must go on before she will sleep...and 90% of the time, her eyes will pop open once we have reached our destination.

So, now we try to get into some sort of routine. Hopefully that routine will involve Baby C napping while not in my arms for more than 20 minutes. Ah, a girl can dream...

one month

It's hard to believe, but yesterday Baby C turned one month old! On the one hand, I can't believe it's already been a month. On the other hand, I can't believe it's only been a month. But such is life with a newborn.

 

For me, at least, parenting a newborn is just not fun. The sleepless nights...the fussiness and crying...the fact that they can't just tell you what the hell they want or need...the lack of smiles despite your best efforts. Add to that I've been hit with PPD again (I had it with A and E, as well...but this time it is worse). Luckily, I got help early, so things are definitely better for me (after a rough week or two), which is great.

All in all, we're hanging in there. The whole family just adores her. As you can see, it'd be hard not to. So I think we'll keep her!

 

I can see a bit of both A and E in her face...I think her nose is very much E's, while her eyes are remniscent of A's (except in color...I think we have another brown-eyed girl on our hands). But there are parts of her that are uniquely and distinctly hers.

I can't wait to find out more about what she is going to be like!

three sisters

holding out for diamonds

The March birthstone is aquamarine. April's is diamond. SlackerBaby decided to stick around for one more day so she would have the better birthstone. Even if that means being called an April's Fool forever.

Baby C
Arrived 4/1/2011 at 11:42 AM
9 lb 2 oz
21 1/4 inches

We're all so in love with her. Especially her two big sisters.

love letters

One of the biggest things that are so different with this preganancy is how I think the girls are going to handle a new baby sister. When A was born, E was a smidge over 2 years old. She was the only grandchild on both sides of the family, and therefore the star of the show. I remember worrying how she was going to react to a new brother or sister. Would she understand? Would she want to share the spotlight? Are we somehow doing something wrong by giving her a sibling?

But this time? Those thoughts have never crossed my mind. The girls have been begging for a sibling for a while, which helps. They've been excited every step of the way. There's not a doubt in my mind that these two are going to love their baby sister with all of their hearts and souls.

 

Of course, stumbling upon letters like these in E's backpack certainly makes me feel good, too.

To: New baby
From: E
I love you so much. I wish you would come out. I can't wait to come out.

Dear A,
I love you so much. You are so cute. Congragulations on being a big sister.

the girls' rooms

Rather than bore you with a post about how ready I am to have this kid, I thought I'd show you the girls' rooms. We had E's and A's repainted when we did the nursery.

As you can see, I'm no Martha Stewart. And none of the girls' rooms are finished. E needs curtains. A needs a headboard. Baby needs curtains and some sort of table next to the glider. But, overall, I like how they turned out.

 

The cross-stitch wall hangings above the crib used to be in my room when I was a kid. My mom had them reframed and they hung in E's room. When we repainted they looked odd, so I convinced E to let me hang them in the baby's room. I thought she was okay with it, but she told my mom,

"Yeah, mommy forced me to give them to the baby."

Oh well.

36 weeks

I'm 36 weeks! I think that most women who have been pregnant will agree that 36 weeks would be the ideal length of pregnancy. Because it's all uncomfortable from here. I'm big, I'm bloated, and my ankles have transformed into cankles. I feel like my belly is growing at an alarming rate. See for yourself.

This week has been pretty stressful work-wise 'round these parts. I've been dealing with some yucky office politics. I'm also trying to tie up some loose ends and get thing smoothly transitioned prior to my maternity leave. But, it ended on a sweet note, literally. My co-workers were kind enough to have a little shower for me this afternoon.

This weekend, we don't have much on the docket. I hope to get some baby clothes washed and put away and finish getting room together. If I do, maybe I'll post pictures this week!

34 weeks

I'm 34 weeks today...which means we've got six weeks to go! (Do you like my delusion that I'll give birth to this baby on her due date, despite the fact that only 5% of babies are born on their actual due date? Yeah, me too.)

I've gotten a couple of comments on how big I look, so I trolled back through the photo archives to do a side-by-side comparison with my previous pregnancies. Of course, there is nothing from A's pregnancy, but I did find one with E.

Honestly, I feel like I'm slightly smaller than I was with E. And carrying a little lower. Which makes me feel marginally better. And I think we can all agree that my hair should never be cut in the 2004 style again.

We've made progress on getting ready for baby. Her room is coming together. I purchased an Ergo Baby Carrier from BabySteals yesterday for a bargain. And, this weekend, I'm headed to Babys-R-Us this weekend to trade in our old infant seat (which expired) and getting a new one.

It kind of cracks me up, because even though my kids aren't *that* old, but it seems like so much has changed! The car seat expired! The bottles are poison (BPA)! The crib is a death trap! I swear, it makes my head spin how different things are in just a few years!

kicking some you-know-what

We had one of those weekends where we kicked some @$$ and took some names, if you know what I mean.

First of all, it was the end of the 2nd quarter for E's school. She got an award this quarter, for Computation Queen. Although she won that award a couple of times last year, earlier this year she won the Top Wildcat Writer. So, with the mad writing AND math skills, I guess she's a Renaissance woman of sorts.


She also got her report card. Again, she did great! She even made some improvements in a couple of areas (including Listening...though you could've fooled me). But, the best part about it was the note from the teacher. It was quite possibly the best teacher's note ever.

E is progressing well academically this quarter. Way to go! E is energetic and loves participating in class. I could easily picture her as a movie star one day. For example, a while back, E was pulled out of the room for testing. When she came back, she opened the door and raised her hands to the air and said "I'm back!" She definitely has a big personality. Also, I wanted to share that E is very "word smart" and "math smart"!

John and I were cracking up at the image of E walking into the room like that. Totally her.

Secondly, the girls made their Valentines. After last year's Valentine's Day FAIL, I knew we needed to step it up a bit. So, we filled goodie bags and added a little tag to each. A gave her friends a bouncy ball and Hershey's kisses, with a tag that said "I have a ball with you!". E gave her friends a pencil and eraser with "You've got the 'write' stuff!" They turned out adorable, if I do say so myself!


Finally, this weekend, we made big progress on SlackerBaby's room (and the rest of the house)! On Saturday (after an exciting, barn-burner of a basketball game where E's team beat a previously undefeated team 22-20), we headed to IKEA. We got a new dresser and bookcase for A's room, so we could move the dresser/changing table and bookcase into the baby's room. (We also got some other furniture for the basement and living room. Part of me hates it that I'm in my mid-thirties and still shop at IKEA. And, yet, it's reasonbly priced, looks good, and if my kids take a Sharpie to it and ruin it, no bigs. IKEA, I just can't quit you!)

On Sunday, we got the furniture delivered and assembled it all, and moved the furniture into place in the baby's room. We also lined up the painters to come and do the girls' rooms this week. Then, we had a fantastic Valentine's Day dinner and dessert. Before we knew it, it was time for bed! And man, did we need it.

Being productive is hard work, yo!

it's (still) a girl

There are a couple of exciting baby updates round these parts!

• We put together the crib! Of course, we still need to get a new crib mattress and the crib currently holds bags of baby stuff that I've acquired this pregnancy...but still! A crib!
  
• My friend, Kelly, took some pictures of our family for an online photographer course she was taking. The theme was waiting...and we certainly fit the bill. Check out the photos here at her web site.
  
• I had a doctor's appointment yesterday. They performed an ultrasound to check the baby's size, and I made her confirm that she is, in fact, still a she. She is! And, a big one at that! She's measuring a week ahead, which isn't a concern. But the doctor did mention that having a 10-pounder isn't out of the realm of possibility.
  

Well, I'm off to E's second quarter Awards Ceremony. I'm not sure what she's getting, but she's 2 for 2 this year. Woo hoo!

now posting on a bi-weekly basis

Apparently, I can only muster up the energy to post every other week these days...just so you guys will lie through your teeth tell me how great I look in my belly shots. Truth of the matter is that I'm just so freaking tired of late. I swear, I feel like I've shot way past Advanced Maternal Age and am Advanced Geriatric Age at this point.

All in all, we're hanging in there. We had some snow storms in the last few weeks, which enabled me to enjoy The Commute from Hell. My normally 45 minute to an hour commute? Took me 6 hours. Awesome. E lost her third tooth on the bottom, but I'm convinced that she will be in braces before the year is out because the two adult teeth that are growing in the space where these 3 baby teeth were? Occupy about 90% of it. But, seeing as John had braces, and I single handedly funded at least one of my othodontist's Mercedes back in the day, I'm really not suprised.

Anyway, here is the growth progression of the belly. In a nutshell, I'm huge. I'm pretty sure I waddle now. Small objects, such as crumbs, cannot escape it's gravitational pull. And, for the first time ever, the OB told me I was measuring ahead. Which is a little off-putting, since I measured normal for both E and A...and they were 8 lb 12 oz and 9 lb 6 oz. If this one breaks the 10 lb mark, I'm going to be pissed.

 

 

On the bright side, I go on Tuesday for an ultrasound to determine size. I'm also hoping for one more confirmation of gender before we select paint colors and buy crib sheets. Because, yeah, we have 8 weeks to go and still haven't done anything! Ack!

updates and a question

The last week or two have been pretty crazy. I extended the long MLK Day weekend and headed out to San Jose to hang out with these two cuties:

Those are my nieces, AJ and Baby M. Aren't they cute? Baby M just turned 8-weeks-old, so it was my first chance meeting her. We got to bond a bit, but my main job was hanging out with AJ. It was so much fun, since last time I saw her, she kind of ignored me because her cousins were the main attraction.

In other news, I'm 30 weeks today! I was already quasi-freaking out because the weeks-to-go count will be soon be single digits...and then Sweet Pea Chef let me know that her friend just had a baby at 30 weeks (thankfully, everyone's doing great)! So, I really need to get organized and ready! For reals!

Here's what I look like these days:

Finally, as my due date draws nearer, I'm realizing answering questions that I didn't have to last time around. Specifically, E and A really want to know how the baby is getting *out* of my belly. And, I go to the hospital and the doctor helps get her out was not a sufficient answer. Anyone have any ideas on how to answer this to a 4- and 6-year-old?

28 weeks

I'm 28 weeks today, which means that I am in my third trimester! On the one hand, I feel like I've been pregnant forever. On the other hand, I can't believe I'm in the final stretch!

We have really done *nothing* to prepare for this baby. Luckily, we have most of the stuff we need for a baby...but still! So, I guess I should make that a New Year's Resolution or something.

So, here's the belly at 28 weeks. I realized that I actually had a picture of me from 20 weeks wearing the same sweater, so I did a side-by-side. Definitely growing! And, I'm sure it's ALL baby. No extra LBS from the holidays for sure!

 

the big sibling reveal

SlackerBaby is...


And, lest you think they weren't all that excited with the news...here they are celebrating the news.