Good Bye 2016.

While in the car over the weekend, Parker chastised me for using my phone too much.  Talk about a really wicked wake up call.  Put the phone down, disconnect and just be here, in the moment.

I am trying to remind myself that our life is the only one that matters.  I don't want someone else's Christmas, or birthdays or vacations.  I don't need to be wrapped up in photos from a life that someone else is living.  I need to remember every single minute of my own days with my babies, who aren't really babies any more.

In 2017, I'm going to try to slow down, take a few breaths and live my life, every day.

Wish me luck and sanity....

She Makes Me Feel Like a Rockstar!

The most favorite part of my day work day is coming home to this face.  She shrieks at the top of her lungs and it makes me feel like a complete rockstar.  I just love reaching the top of the stairs, catching her attention and watching her face light up.

She's walking now, says the word dog and wakes up in the sweetest mood every single day. She has stolen my heart in a way I didn't know was possible.

Hadley Grace is 1!

Our little love bug turns one today.  What a joy she is in our lives.  She is so very easy going and patience, sweet and kind.  She just adores her older brothers and tries so very hard to keep up with them.  

She has been walking for almost 6 weeks now, just got her two front teeth (for Christmas) and loves to snuggle.  Unlike the boys, she tends to sit back and just soak up her surroundings, studying people and things.  She's very friendly and the only person she hasn't liked upon first introduction was Santa which I am sure she will soon get over.

We celebrated her first birthday over the weekend and it was so nice to see how many people love this little girl.  It really does take a village and we are so blessed to have such great family and friends in our lives.

It's Been Too Long...

I can't believe it's been almost 6 months since my last post.  Life is busy to say the least and I've just been distracted.

We had an active summer with soccer, Cooper and Kevin's birthdays, a visit to DisneyLand and our first kid-free trip to Hawaii to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. Summer was completed with a new job for Kevin and a trip to Boston to celebrate the marriage of two of our closest friends.  It has definitely been a bit of a blur.

The babies are getting so big.  Hadley has two teeth now, she's beginning to walk and much to my dismay, she's saying da-da.  She just adores her big brothers and is tough as nails.

In an attempt to actually capture our kids while they are still babies, we found a local photographer and I am just thrilled with the outcome. The session was short and we were a bit stressed but our photographer was such a pro.  Our session started with Cooper requesting that the photographer "take a picture of his back".  Needless to say, she did, he was thrilled and complied the remainder of the session.  He's definitely my wild one!

Parker, almost 5 years old

Cooper, 3 years old

Hadley, 10 months

As I think back over the summer, I have so many sweet memories and I know that we had a great summer but I have so few photos.  I am going to once again, make this my New Years resolution - take more photos or keep in touch with my new found photographer.

Business Casual

Cooper is my little firecracker.  This morning, while getting dressed, he decided the simple blue t-shirt that I picked out just wouldn't work for his Thursday.  He marched into his room and picked out this outfit.

That's right ladies, it's a clip on and those are shorts AND crocs.

This kid is so wonderful. So over-the-top and I love every ounce of it.  He loves big and loathes big.  He's full of such personality.  I just love to sit back and watch him interact with those around him.  Kevin and I often compare him to Ferdinand the Bull.

He's such a great protector and lover.  He's going to be a great man one day.

Here Comes Summer.

Summer is approaching.  Parker is playing tee ball on the weekends now and we are eagerly anticipating opening day of the neighborhood pool.  A few weeks ago, Kevin even gave the boys their "summer cuts".  I think they look a bit like concentration camp survivors.

Nice and clean after a bath.  

He thinks this is a right of passage.  Every boy must have their head buzzed prior to the start of summer, it's how summer really gets started. I'm learning to love the shorter hair, it's definitely easier on me.

Hadley is 5 Months Old.

I'm not really sure where the time has gone.  Hadley is 5 months old today.  She's such a sweet baby. Almost rolling over, starting to push up to crawl and talking a ton.  She's so very easy-going.  Low maintenance and just a sweet baby.

Watching Parker play tee ball.

I'm really struggling with her getting older.  I know she's my last one and I'm just not ready for her to grow up.  She still sleeps in bed with us and I really cherish the quiet time and just listening to her breath.

I'm not sure why watching my little girl, my last one, grow up is so difficult for me.  With Parker and Cooper, I eagerly anticipated every milestone, with Hadley, I am dreading them. It's time for her to try real food for the first time and for the last few weeks, I've just put off trying.  I can't even push myself to buy rice cereal. I keep telling myslef, "I'll do it next week".  I think next week is finally here.  I've just got to find a way to deal with my own emotions, revel in her growth and cherish the memories of her.

And now, we are a family of five.

Our little Miss Hadley Grace has arrived.  She is here and she is perfect in every way.  They boys, Kevin included, are just over the moon for her.

She eats well, she sleeps well and she is an all around easy-going baby.  She made her grand entrance into the world on Monday, December 15th at 6:43pm.  She was 7 pounds, 15 ounces and just under 20" long.  She has dark brown hair that might be curly and two tiny cowlicks on the back of her head, just like her dad.  For now, her eyes are blue.  They look a lot like Parker's did when he was born.

She is a very delicate baby, much different from her brothers.  All of her features are tiny and sweet. She has long skinny legs and arms, tiny little toes.  I guess she is everything that a little girl should be...

We are so very excited to introduce her to the world and can not wait to watch her grow.

It's A...

You read it right.  We are expecting a little girl in December.  I wanted to wait, I really did but I'm so glad that I know we are expecting a little Miss in December.  I have so much work to do and planning.  Lot's of planning.  We have all the major pieces, the crib and dresser and stroller and carseats.  That stuff doesn't really matter to me.

What I am more focused on is the nursery.  It took me over a dozen paint samples and four weeks to finally decide on a color.  My poor husband was a trooper during it all.  He even volunteered to repaint the ceiling and trim in the room.  We landed on a nice subtle taupe.  Not too gray, not too brown.  Just right.

I want the accessories to be shades of coral and peach, with very little pink in the room.  Thank goodness for Pinterest, it found just want I was looking for in a color scheme.

I want warm colors with a touch of gold but not too girlie, more fancy garden. Let's hope my lack of a green thumb doesn't get in the way. 

Whirlwind

taking a dip in the river, Summer 2014

I have been quiet for a bit too long so I thought that I would come back with a big bang...we are expecting baby #3 in December.

Things were just getting a bit too boring around here and a little too easy.  We only have one in diapers and Cooper seems to finally be past a bit of "terrible twos" that we thought might do us both in.

Santa Cruz Beach, Spring 2014

Parker is a walking, talking man now.  Into everything, questioning everyone and a bit too bossy at times.  He is basically pay back for the first 18 years of my life.  I have to laugh at times, if I were to put a wig on him, I would be arguing with myself.  He's really smart and at times, it's a bit scary but so very exciting.

ready for bed

Cooper is a menace and Parker's shadow.  Kevin often describes me as a Sour Patch Kid, first she's sour, then she's sweet, that's Cooper too.  He has a heart of gold and just lights up a room until you cross him, or he's tired, or hungry.  We try to keep him well fed and rested to combat two of the three.

visiting the Calaveras Big Tress, Summer 2014

Life is grand right now.  We are so very in love and it's hard not to be.  We have been truly blessed with two of the most wonderful little terrors ever put on earth and I can't wait until #3 rolls in town to mix things up a bit.

Our due date is late November/early December, December 9th to be exact.  All dates are great, except November 30th, Parker will never ever ever forgive me for that one.  (He still talks about "that one time when dad didn't bring my bat to the ball game"), 12:01 on December 1st sounds just fine.