Merry Christmas!

We had a magical Christmas this year. We put a lot of effort to focus more on the story of baby Jesus than Santa--and the boys caught the spirit.

There were LOTS of family gatherings throughout the month with birthdays, a missionary uncle returning, and Christmas get togethers.

Not to mention we all got spoiled in the present department.

Now we just try our best to settle down indoors while the snow falls.

Merry Christmas!

Thankful Turkey

In November for a couple years now, we've done a thankful turkey. His feathers grow continually through the month as we add to him as we go. This year was fun to watch because our "thankfuls" reflected so much about our lives this year.

Dad:
Our house
Mommy
Peter
Gabe & Nate

Mom:
Sleep
Daddy
Jesus lives
amazon.com

Gabe:
Tassy (the dog)
Trains
Heavenly Father's love
Our garden

Nate:
Blankets
Hugs to show love
Not feeling sick
Teachers

Peter (we speculated):
Warms clothes (he hates being naked)
Grandmas and Grandpas
Big brothers
Early AM meals

Biggest Brother

I just had to share. 

This succession of pictures captures my heart. Comical turned sweet. 

Gabe, dying to hold his little brother, couldn't wait until after the hungry baby had eaten. In the process of getting situated, Peter whacked Gabe in the eye (accidentally, of course). Gabe cried suddenly from the surprise, but quickly forgot himself as Pete's hungry cries began. 

The bond this boy shares with each of his brothers is overwhelmingly sweet. I hope they always know how lucky they are!

School Pictures

School picture day I marched into the school so excited for easy, cute, natural pictures. 

About an hour later I dragged myself and the kids back out to the car totally defeated. 

Gabe tried. He really did. He was enthusiastic and giddy. But he didn't quite understand how to stay looking at the camera for "Cheese!" At one point he got teary eyed and said, "Oh... This isn't working..." (and my heart broke because I was growing frustrated and needed to remember how his mind really works). His shots were all cute, just not quite looking at the camera. 

Nathan's pictures were no better. But he was just being a little turkey. He must have loved having the power over me to watch me beg to get him to cooperate. Because that's a three year old in public for ya. 

These are pictures of pictures, and at the end of it all they still depic their cute faces at this time of their lives. 

(And shhh, don't tell, but we had better pictures taken of them just days later anyhow. Those are just hiding til Christmas though.)

Blessing

Peter Glenn was blessed on November 2nd. We were only given the okay to bless him four days before, so we had a small gathering of close family including grandparents, two sets of great grandparents, his two aunts and an uncle. Even with the smaller crowd, he managed to get passed around quite a bit that day!

The whole clan!

Same blessing outfit that his father and brothers all wore.

Not an unusual sight to see after church. The blessing wore them both out!

 Deja vu:

Nathan's blessing day.

Nathan in the blessing outfit.

Gabe in his blessing outfit.

Two Months

In two months, Peter's gained nearly four and a half pounds and grown over three inches. And his head circumference has expanded by a whole inch as well. Sheesh.

4 weeks old

10 weeks old

 

 

We sure like him!

October

Another month has come and gone for 2014. 

We didn't really do much (as we're just now slowly coming out of survival mode), but here are a few pictures/highlights:

Conference weekend in which we watched cozily from a couch or bed. 

Peter started to smile. 

LOTS of this. The boys playing (and quarreling) while I hang out in the recliner with a sleepy baby. 

Driving up a small canyon nearby to check out the fall leaves. 

Watching the trees change in our own yard. 

Used Grandma's Fall Break from school as an excuse to visit our first pumpkin patch. 

Walked around Silver Lake. A family favorite that went a few years without a visit. 

Watch the fat reserves slooowly build up on our little fellow. 

Visited a farm. Saw a baby cow there!

Did I mention I love changing leaves? Growing up I was spoiled with the best scenes of deciduous trees all around me and I STILL miss it every year. Fourteen years later. 

The boys went off track in school. Great for brunches. 

We dressed up for Halloween. For Daddy's work party and trick-or-treating later that night. 

And enjoyed some deep conversations with a cooing two month old. It's killing me how fast he's growing!

Hair

I was brushing Gabe's hair for school one day and noticed something funny with a spot on his head. I though it was a typical random uncooperative spot (as it happens to the best of us, right?). 

But upon closer examination, I realized a chunk of hair was missing. 

I had no idea what to think of it. No idea how it happened. 

Then another day later Gabe came home from school and I noticed a bald spot:

Right between his cowlicks, where he always has a tuft of hair sticking up (which I LOVE).

TURNS OUT Gabe took it upon himself to remove his untamable "bed head."

Says he when I asked, "Oh, I FIXED it!!"

I learned my lesson about accidentally teaching him "bed head" the same week I point out his cowlicks. 

And keeping hair scissors easily accessible in the bathroom. 

Pluggin Along

It's been just over a month since life's change of pace began. Life as a mom takes 300% of my time (and energy) and it's all I do. 

Transitioning to three so far has been CRAZY for me. I still can't believe I have three. A LOT of moms tell me it was their hardest transition and I'm believing it. I can't quite put my finger in which aspect it is though. 

I get to see the difference between an 18 month and three year gap between kids. I traded off having to re-enter "baby mode" after a while for kids who are relatively independent. Apples and oranges. 

I get lots of friends asking how the baby's doing. He's an awesome baby! He just does everything a newborn does without asking too much. I think he's pretty great!

It's the older two that are giving me a run for my money. My efforts to enforce house rules are less than perfect being limited in mobility and they're running wild with it. I'd be lying if I said it isn't nuts. 

I may or may not be losing my mind. 

Recovery is still taking it's own sweet time. For all those women who tried to tell me a vbac recovery would be "SO much better"... I want to give some serious crusties. There are moments I lean over a counter, or reach up, and remember that could have been an impossible move, and I'm thankful in those moments. 

We're still in potty training mode. It seriously feels like we'll be in limbo forever. Nate's got all the tools and practice... we're just waiting for some switch to flip. He's oh so close though. 

(Thanks again, Hannah, for our sweet pictures!)

We're taking life super easy for now. If it doesn't have to get done, it usually doesn't. It's often PJ day and our outings are (gladly) just a drive in the car. 

I recently saw a show where they said, "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good ol' days before you've left them." One thing I know for sure is no matter how crazy the days are, or stressful, I'm already nostalgic for the day before. We're definitely in the good ol' days now! We're loving life!

What Matters

My mother had this poem on her wall as I grew up. I remembered it while holding Peter one night and wanted it to put in the nursery. 

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow,

For babies grow up, 

We've learned to our sorrow. 

So quiet down cobwebs,

Dust go to sleep,

I'm rocking my baby,

And babies don't keep. 

Heaven knows I have always thrived in an organized and squeaky clean living space. For the first time I've truly had to learn to lower my standards for a clean house. Some days we still mange "tidy," but I'm learning to pick my battles.