catch up

For some weird reason I can't type above this first picture, so here we start. The guilt of not documenting my children's lives has finally caught up with me so I'm going to attempt a catch up all in one post. Which shouldn't take me that long really because I don't take a whole lot of pictures. oops. So to pick up where we left off, Elin was born on October 29th. So next in line was Halloween! Yay! I love Halloween and I was just as excited for it this year. Only this time I had to watch my little kildets trick or treat from my bedroom window while I held our two day old baby in the warmth of our house. My parents Josh and Theresa, Janay and Tim and the girls all came to our house so I could participate in some small way. That meant a lot to me. Thanks everyone! At this point I was still under strict orders from the midwives to rest upstairs and not attempt to make it to the main floor for another day or so. So I watched from the top of the stairs as they got ready and took pictures and then waved out to the window to them as they ran from house to house down our block. It made me a little sad that I couldn't be there with them, but there will be many more Halloweens to come so I'm okay with it. They stayed out for a long time. From what I hear Uncle Tim was a slave driver and kept going and going! :) It wasn't so bad that I didn't have to do any of the walking but I reaped all the rewards of going through their bags when they got back to pick out what I wanted. I was cleaning out my closet the other day and found the big bag still hidden with loads of candy. I may have had a chocolate bar or three while I worked. Yummm.

I put this one in here just as proof that she didn't always have the thunder thighs she has now. Its hard to remember her that tiny. Ever. She bulked up right away.

She was a horrible sleeper for the first two months. I was a zombie. Even worse because I still had to be a functioning mother during the day. It was brutal. She had her days and nights mixed up really badly and it took what seemed like forever to get it figured out.

There were periods of calm through out the day but as soon as the sun would go down I would find a dark room to hide in for about a half hour and just cry because I knew what the night held for me. Next to no sleep, and constant pacing or rocking with her.

Despite all that I couldn't help but smile when I looked at her. Holding her little body against my shoulder felt so right and I loved breathing in her brand new smell. She hated burping and would arch her back and squeal each time I attempted it. Which was A LOT. :)

I love this picture for many reasons. Noah's face, his inside out shirt, Masyn's little look in her eyes and then the very Hispanic looking baby at the bottom. She stayed dark the longest out of all the kids and oh how I wish it would have stayed! She's as white as the other two now :)

Some sisterly love going on. I was scared for Masyn to be a big sister. First because she adores babies. Like adores them to the point of smothering. She just doesn't know when to stop. And second because she was the first girl, and the most spoiled little thing. I was worried what being the middle child would do to her behavior. So far we've seen it manifest itself in tearful meltdowns daily. She used to be the very best sleeper. She would go to bed without a single complaint. Now? She screams and screeches like she is dying. It doesn't last long, but it is every. single.time. Nap and night. I have tried EVERYTHING. And nothing seems to work other than letting getting it over with quickly. Like ripping off a band aid. I make sure she has everything she usually likes in her bed with her, the night lights on, her favorite blanket, 3 songs sung, I tell her that nobody loves her like I do, and then I run. Mostly to get the door closed before the screaming wakes up the sleeping baby, but partly because it just breaks my heart to hear her cry. I feel guilty that I don't have the time to spend with her before bed like I did before the baby came. It still makes me cry. Let me remind you that Ed works nights. Every night. So I have to full brunt of the bedtime routine and I really do wish I could be in three different places at once giving all three of my kids the attention that I want to before I send them to sleep. Unfortunately that isn't our life right now. One day we'll tag team it and it will be easier. Until then!

Next up, Noah's birthday. I couldn't turn any of my pictures properly so this is the only evidence you have that my first born turned four. Four! So crazy to me. This was a mere two weeks after Elin was born. Her due date in fact was his birthday. How thankful am I that she was born not just 2 weeks before, but in the month before as well! He loved his birthday party and all the cousins that came to celebrate. He was spoiled by both families as per usual. Thanks everyone!

Elin was still not sleeping well at this point. I can tell from this picture because I would not normally allow my son to run around in his pajamas all day and my daughter to wear a pair of shorts in the middle of November. Not to mention the fact that she doesnt even match. Sigh. Those were loooong dark days folks.

Fast forward to Christmas. This is Miss Masey being the sheep in our Nativity reenactment at Ed's parents house Christmas Eve.

Mary, Joseph, a sheep turned Shepard, baby Jesus, and grumpy Chloe :)

The beginning of the chaos called opening presents.

This is my blurry documentation of our little Christmas morning before we woke the kids up. You cant tell from these pictures, but we KNOW Santa was there because of the cookie crumbs and empty milk glass. You can ALSO tell that we just had a baby a short while ago because our tree is o natural with nothing on it but some lights. That's as far as we got the night after we set it up and that is how it stayed until we took it down. Poor sad tree. I promise we will not have another baby this year and neglect you so. I don't want to brag or anything, but I got my FAVORITE Christmas present the night before Christmas Eve. My sweet baby girl started sleeping longer than a one hour stretch! Not two, not three, not four, but FIVE HOURS in a row! Thank you Elin! That was all I had asked for :) I knew you had it in you!

Jump ahead to January 14th and my baby a few months before, turns 2! Again, I couldn't turn any of the pictures so here she is in all her chocolate glory. This girls loves her some chocolate, so we delivered :) Happy Birthday sweet girl!

After the whirlwind of Christmas and the first few weeks of January, things start to settle down around here. I am starting to feel like I can function easier and we're getting into a routine. Something I love love love to have, but not always possible with young kids. Its up and down up and down, but I'll take what I can get.

Ahhhhh here come the cheeks! Miss Elin around three months sitting pretty in her Bumbo. That may or may not be on the counter. Don't worry, she was fully supervised.

Oh how I love these two! Noah is such a good big brother and Elin adores him whenever he's around.

The loin fruits hangin' out.

Masyn and her sister the chipmunk :) She's smuggling something in those things I just know it.

Masyn's hair is going through this weird phase right now I its already so thin I am having a hard time thinking of cutting it. But I do love these tiny faces! We run on three different schedules in this house that rarely line up together so we don't really go anywhere. We pretty much just hang out and enjoy each other's company. And by enjoy each others company I mean fight over toys or who's turn it is for the ipad or who gets to say the prayer for the food or which one gets to sit next to the baby at the table. Oh heaven help me! Winters are too long! Hurry up spring, we need a change of scenery!

Who can resist a fresh nakey baby? With a side of really cute chubbiness? Not me, that's who.

Horizontal stripes? really? She must have thought me crazy as well because shortly after this picture was taken, this adorable, not to mention brand spankin new onsie found itself in the garbage can when it became the victim of a rather horrific explosive diaper the likes of which I have never before seen. It was a sad day for all.

And here is Grandpa and his Caballero girls just a few days ago. We love it when Papa comes for a visit!

For my own records I wanted to take a quick run through of each of the kids at their present ages.

Noah:

At 4 years old you...

-Are the best big brother and helper to Mom and Dad

-Are almost potty trained. This has been a crazy hard road for you, but just in the last week you have made some major breakthrough's and we are so proud of you! As soon as you master it all, we get to move right on to Masyn :)

-Cannot get enough of playing guns and getting scrapes and bruises (bruces as you call them) 100% boy through and through.

- Told me last week that you have a girlfriend from church named Ella and you like her because she has lots of pretty dresses.

- Can read books to me from memory. I love to listen to you 'read'!

- Sit in a booster seat in the very back of the car where you feel like you are the king of the world every time we drive somewhere.

- Are still very nervous about the idea of going to school. We are working on this and I talk to you about how fun it will be daily. I hope you'll warm up to the idea come September.

- Can play games on the ipad better than I can

- Love to take showers instead of baths

- Are forever talking about your cousin Elissa or your 'best girl Liss' as you correct me often.

- Are getting better about being away from your blanket but feel like you need it in environments where you feel uncomfortable. You hold it close to your face and tell me that it makes you feel brave.

- have just recently found a love of coloring.

- Grind your teeth

- Love Elin or 'momma girls' and are the first to run into her room when she wakes up in the morning.

- Are getting really good at using your words with Masyn instead of hitting her when she doesn't listen. which for the record, is A LOT. Excellent patience my boy :)

- still 100% loyal to your Dad. It's you and him against the world. Every day, all day.

Masyn:

At 2 years old you...

- scream alot!

- love to annoy your brother. You know exactly what buttons to push with him and you do it. several times a day. But I know you love him with all your heart :)

- have the most infectious laugh

- think you are the boss and are constantly odering people on time outs. and by people I mean Papa.

- have this connection with your Grandpa that brings tears to my eyes sometimes.

- have a major sweet tooth. You would eat chocolate all day if you had your way.

- love to play babies and wear shoes.

- have a thing for coloring and playing with stickers.
- want so badly to be independant. You want to do it all yourself and its hard for me to just sit by and let you do up every single snap on your pajamas at a painfully slow pace. I'll miss this one day I know it :)

- still fit in 18 month clothing. such a tiny thing.

- are finally starting to grow some hair and are sitting well while I put pretties in every morning.

- love nursery at church

- love to run around with your brother and pretend to be dinosaurs or bad guys or whatever he has come up with that day.

- adore your Uncle Josh and the way he tosses you around like a sack of potatoes.

- are starting to climb out of your crib. Help!

- love to pretend cook in your toy kitchen. you have the best imagination. You are constantly bringing me food and saying 'Milk today? okay. Milk coming riiiight up!' adorable.

- are like a magnet as soon as I start working out. I have toys placed on my stomach while trying to do situps, babies shoved in my face, and balls thrown at my head. FUN!

- love to sing and be sung to.

- are learning your boundaries with your baby sister and loving her so much!

Elin:

At 4 months you...

- are eating like a champ (clearly)

- sleep fabulously long periods of time

- are just starting to laugh, but are constantly smiling.

- starting to drool a ton! I have an ick factor with drooly babies. You are my first one, so its rough, but Im working on it :)

- starting to make strange with anyone outside our immediate family.

- have to always have something in your mouth, toys, fingers, blankets.

- almost started to roll over but then you lost interest and dont even try anymore.

- need to be swaddled to fall asleep.

- get put in your swing at night until you are fully asleep then transfered to the bed when you're good and out. Ahh glorious sleep!

- are in a size 3 diaper but may need to upgrade to a 4 (which is what Masyn is in) in light of the recent explosions we've had lately.

- smile and coo when Noah comes around, but squirm and squeal as soon as Masyn does! hahaha

- hate tummy time.

- getting really good at grabbing for toys that interest you.

- grab your tiny toes all the time.

- starting to smile and laugh when someone scares you. you used to lose it, but you like it now.

- hardly ever cry. such a predictable baby. which is why I am dreading getting your ears pierced. I dont want to hear you cry!

- are still a mommy's girl

- love bath time.

- are so good at putting yourself back to sleep in the middle of the night, I nurse you, wrap you up, stick you back in your bed and you're out in minutes. first of my babies to do that. Thank you!

- love to interact with people but for the most part, are content to just sit on someones lap and people watch :)

And there you have it! I'm all caught up, so I can sleep guiltlessly tonight. In fact, I think I'll go do that right now. Goodnight all.