Baby Lucy

My sister gave birth to her 3rd baby, Lucy Amaryllis, on February 23rd. She was induced 3 weeks early, and baby Lucy still weighed in at 7lbs, 4.4oz and 20.5 inches long! If she would have gone full term, there's a good chance Lucy would have been a big 10 pound baby!
We are so excited for their growing family and can't wait to meet baby Lucy. Sadly, we probably won't meet her until June because they moved farther away from us! :( Congratulations...
to Brooklynn, Parker, big brother Jackson, and big sister Kate!!!

6 Weeks Already

I guess he's almost 7 weeks now, but it's taken me this long to post anything! We found out last Wednesday night that Chloe has strep throat. She woke up that morning, could hardly talk, but I heard this faint little voice crying "owe, owe". It pretty much broke my heart! So that's my excuse... oh, besides just having 3 young children, that's a good enough excuse in itself! Maddie had a little bit of a runny nose, but that's it. Poor Sammy got a stuffy nose, and is still a bit stuffed up. He's still been eating and sleeping well, he just sounds like a piggy when he breaths! It is NOT an easy task to keep Chloe away from Sam while she's sick. Pretty much a full time job! I know I've said this over and over, but she really is so obsessed with him! This picture below Sam's making a weird face, but I had to post it just to show you all, she is constantly in his face, kissing him or loving him! I'd probably make a face like that too if I had Chloe's crazy hair in my face all the time! Poor boy!
We pulled this bouncer seat out (that Chloe keeps trying to sit in herself and ends up falling over) and our baby activity gym/mat. He loves them! He started batting at some of the toys, maybe by accident because he was swinging his arms around, but nonetheless, he was hitting them. He seems to really enjoy them.


The picture below I was going to change his diaper and I guess he wasn't too happy about it, he's about to start crying here...
Is it sad that I think it's the cutest thing when my kids cry?! And better yet, instead of comforting them, I run for my camera to take a picture or two?! :)



Sam has smiled a few times here and there for us, but last night after I finished feeding him he really started smiling and talking. I have got to try to get it on tape because it is just so darn cute!! He's been doing it ever since! I could sit there holding him, listening to him talk, watching him smile, all day long! When he really gets excited with his big smiles his bottom lip starts to quiver!

Maddie's Artwork

I found some lovely crayon artwork on my bedroom walls Saturday night. I was walking toward my room and about the same time I look up and see the drawings on the walls, I hear Maddie running around the corner yelling to me that she didn't do it, Chloe did it... funny thing is, I hadn't even said a word about it yet, I had JUST seen it! My daughter has officially hit the lying stage! Ugh!! It wasn't too long ago that she ALWAYS told the truth. She would come and tell on herself before you even knew she did anything wrong.
I was actually having a really hard time holding in the laughter, listening to Maddie as she tried to convince me that Chloe really did draw those great pictures on the wall. Mike had to come in and talk to Maddie about it, because at this point, I couldn't stop laughing (I had gone in the other room at this point). Maddie finally admitted that she had done the drawings on the walls. I was later telling her that she needs to be a better example to her sister because I found orange crayon scribbled on Chloe's sheets on her bed, under her pillow. I told her that Chloe is copying her because now she's coloring on her bed. Maddie's eyes lit up and she told me that no, Chloe didn't do that, SHE had colored in Chloe's bed! SERIOUSLY??? At least she was honest this time, even when I was blaming Chloe!
Chloe was standing there while I was taking these pictures, but I thought it'd really give you an idea of the size of these "life size" portraits. Three of them! Maddie was pretty proud of her work! And to be honest, it's still on my wall! Secretly, I think the pictures are really cute, and my walls were very white and very bare anyway... I'll probably leave them there for a while!Ignore the scrubby, homeless-looking child in these pictures... the kids all woke up with colds, and Chloe has strep throat! It was a lazy kind of day!

Bird Feeders With Grandma

While my family was in town for Sam's blessing last week, my mom and Maddie made some "bird feeders" to hang on the trees outside. Maddie has been checking the window every day since to check on them...
Maddie thought she should call for the birds. I had to explain to her they'd only come to eat if she was inside the house and very quiet.Thank goodness for grandmas... they are the best!!! :)

Sam Meets Sophia

My cousin Stephanie had her baby girl the 1st of February, just 3 1/2 weeks after I had Sam. They met each other for the first time last week! My pictures are annoyingly dark, but it's all I have. We'll have to have another baby play date so we can get some better ones.
Sophie had just been woken up to eat and wanted her food, I think she was trying to eat Sam! It was pretty funny!

Sam's 3-Week Pictures

Katie took Sam's pictures the end of January, and I just love them! We tried to get a few with the girls as well, but my children were not cooperating. Chloe cried most of the time because she wanted to be held and Maddie smiled for a couple pictures then handed Sam off and said she was done taking pictures now. Gotta love kids! Sam was ready to eat right at picture time and then wanted his pacifier the whole photo shoot. I laughed at a few of the shots where he has huge lips... obviously sucking his pacifier right before the shot, but I pulled it out for the picture! I love them though!! I think they turned out really cute regardless of my non-cooperating kids! I can't believe how much Sam has changed already just since these pictures were taken... maybe it's time to take some more?! :)