If time could stand still (at least for a moment)

Well here I am, back to the blogging world, if only for a moment...and after not being here for a while.  I am not here to report the usual updates on what the kids are doing and what kind of advancements they are making.  No, this time around I am here to share my thoughts on something that has been consuming me these days.  My baby is going to be 7 tomorrow.  I know, I know...some of you are shaking your heads and saying, "my goodness Adrienne, get over it, she is only going to be SEVEN for crying out loud!"  But I, for whatever reason, feel like this means she is so, dare I say, old.  The fact that she is going in to second grade, can read EVERYTHING now, is increasingly independant, and the diva that she is, of course, does not help.  I watch her playing, dancing, or doing anything for that matter, and am so very proud of who she has become.  And yet, I can't help but feel this remorse that she doesn't need me as much anymore.  On one end of the spectrum, I am still able to revel in chunky baby thighs, new words, and teething, and for that I am grateful.  I am sure that softens the blow a little.  But I can remember those days with Erinn.  Back then, it was just she and I, and so we spent every minute of every day together (or at least that is how it felt).  I am so thankful and feel blessed for all 3 of my children, and love them with all the heart that I have.  I would never take anything away from Regan or Mattie, but Erinn will always have been my first.  She was the one who made me a Mommy, and she was the start of that wonderful journey.  I was able to spend so many quiet moments with her, while she learned me, and I learned her.  And in the end, she has taught me more in her 7 years of life than I will ever be able to teach her in a lifetime.  She is my little buddy, my little clone, my sidekick...I guess I just hope that she always will be.  Now don't get me wrong though, I look forward to all that is to come, to watch her grow, and see more of who she is meant to be (except the teenage years, those...I fear).  Each new phase and age bring something even more great, and our relationship changes to fit that age.  I feel that way about each of my kids, and it is different with all of them.  Those are things that a Mommy looks forward to, while still holding strong to those tiny baby memories that we don't want to ever forget.

No matter how much I fight it though, tomorrow will come, and my baby will wake up a big seven year old.  Happy and excited for her big day, as I will be for her too, she will never see the tears I am sure to shed at some point that day.  It will be wonderful, as all of our family and friends recount the day she came, and be there to celebrate her.  Because she really is someone to celebrate, that Erinn Jae. And when the day is over, I will snuggle her before bed, and make her promise me that she will still snuggle me even when she is big and has babies of her own.  And she will giggle and be in accordance with that plan, as she always is when I propose it.  Then I will leave her room, probably in tears again, and hope that she truly meant it.

Happy 7th Birthday to my beautiful little, big girl! 

Perspective

I know, I know...here I am again, and it has not even been a month!!  We continue to be very busy here in the Williams household (as usual), and I know that I will have a lot to blog about in the coming weeks.  We have an upcoming dance recital, preschool graduation, and Fathers Day.  Not to mention various field trips and end of the school year activities.  The girls continue to perform well on the ball field, and Mattelyn has tackled some of the more difficult baby tasks of eating solid foods, crawling and pulling up on furniture, and mastering the sippy cup (this one needs more work).  But tonight I am writing more about some things that have been on my mind, as opposed to our daily routines.

Recently, I have begun to see things in a different light.  I know that back in the beginning of the year, I wrote about how I was going to try to be more positive, to take a different perspective.  And while I am happy to report that, for the most part I have, it has definitely not been easy.  I have walked away from situations I haven't wanted to, set my emotions aside to "do the right thing", and worried endlessly about my own actions.  All in all, I am happy with the path I chose in each of these instances, and most importantly, that I have learned to keep the anxiety at bay by looking at things differently.  I know that it sounds cheesy and cliche, but I have found myself learning to appreciate the more important things in life.  It has made me a better wife, mother, sister, friend, and I can only hope that it is something that will trickle down to my children, and teach them through example.  For instance...

I look at my children a different way.  Now don't get me wrong, I continue to have moments where I want to sell them on ebay, but I have started to realize what a blessing they truly are...even in those awful moments.  Why did God choose me to be their vessel, to nurture them and teach them?  Have I done this job justice, given it all that I was meant to?  There are some days that come to an end and I think, I didn't even get to play with my children today.  I was so busy with all the other mundane tasks of the day (that need to get done), but did I achieve the main job of letting them know that they are loved?  There are days that I feel like all I did was nag, and yell, and in essence, was the "Mommy Monster".  How do I combat these feelings of negativity at the end of the day?  Do other Moms feel this way?  So, how do I try to change these feelings of impending inadequacy?  I stop, and look at my kids, and smile.  And no, it isn't as Hallmark as it sounds.  Sometimes, it is not until the end of the night, when they are sound asleep and I cover them up again before heading to bed myself.  Sometimes, it is when they make me laugh with their witty remarks and their "hereditary" feistiness.  Sometimes it is when they are not even there, and all I have to do is think of them, and I want to cry.  Tears of happiness that I was chosen to be THEIR vessel.  That every morning, I get to wake up to the greatest and one of the most influential jobs there is.  Because I don't want there to be a day that goes by that I am not thankful for them and for who I get to be because of them.  Even when I want to pitch them out onto the lawn...I wouldn't have it any other way.

I try to let the small stuff slide.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a bit of a worrier.  I stress about quite a few things, and some things that I shouldn't.  Making sure your childs needs are met, definitely a stressor that should exist.  That the needs of the family in general are met, imperative.  Not so important however, is the fact that the laundry is folded at the end of the day...hey, it's washed isn't it?  Or that perhaps that bain of my existence, that white linoleum kitchen floor, has some dirt marks on it.  I know with my OCD they won't be there for long, but why do I have to do THAT right NOW?  I have been working on that.  If  I am not so burnt out, then the person I am to those that love me most, is the person I need to be.  THEY get the best of me...not the kitchen floors.

I "stop to smell the roses".  Yes, I have always loved to be outdoors, and loved everything about nature, but lately I am thankful for those beautiful nights where it is warm enough to sit outside, but cool enough to wear a sweatshirt.  That, as I am writing this blog, there is a big beautiful moon staring me right in the face.  How do people go through life not seeing these things?  When I go for a run (my new hobby), it is like I shut out the cars, the people, the "fillers", and I just run.  It is cleansing, and it feels great.  That is probably what keeps me coming back.

Perspective...I know it sounds cheesy and cliche, but truthfully, it has helped me in ways that nothing else has.  At the end of the day, I KNOW I have been blessed.  At the end of the day, I KNOW I am a better person.  At the end of the day, I am thankful that I took the time to see some things that some people will never see.  Caught up in their hatred, or hurried lives, or selfishness.  That won't be me.  Amidst making lunches, and folding laundry, rushing to practices and appointments, and balancing a household, I will stop to be thankful for ALL of it.  It may not be easy, and sometimes I may slip up and forget, but I will make that effort for those that mean most to me.

I wouldn't have it any other way...

HAPPY JUNE ALL!  Until we meet again...

When did May get here?

Well apparently I have been gone for a long time, and in the interim they have changed the whole layout of this blogging website.  So for today, I am doing a short "trial" post to make sure I am not missing out on anything.  I think I was terribly overdue for a post anyway, as it has been almost 2 months!!  We have been super busy here in the Williams household.  We have fully trasnsformed into spring mode.  The girls are both playing ball, we are slowly tackling projects in the yard, and we are spending much more time outdoors (when it is not raining anyway).  We are looking forward to upcoming events such as the girls dance recital, Regan's graduation from preschool, and the end of the school year.

Since the last time we connected, we celebrated a very wonderful Easter.  Instead of the traditional sit down dinner, we decided to use the nice weather to start our season of barbecues by having what we called an Easter-que!  The kids all had fun, and so did all of the adults!  Everyone was pleasantly tuckered by the end of the day.  I was able to capture some nice shots of my Easter beauties as well!

Regan's Easter party at preschool

Egg coloring at Tia's

Outdoor Egg Hunt

Bunny Cake

The rest of April was relatively uneventful, so there is not much to report on that front.

Erinn:  This year Erinn gets to play Rookie ball, which means no more hitting off of a tee, and 3 outs per inning!  It is much more exciting to watch, a little less monotonous than T-ball, and we are enjoying watching how well she is doing.  She is a pretty good hitter, and of course has a nice long and fast stride on the base path.  Her fielding needs the most work, but Daddy is ever vigilant about working with her at home as often as she wants to (which is actually quite a bit).  She holds her own for being one of only 2 girls on the team, but I secretly think she will like it better when she is on a team of all girls.  She has also gotten 100 on a few spelling tests, continues to progress with leaps and bounds on her reading, and remains very efficient at math.  She will be bridging from a Daisy Girl Scout to a Brownie Girl Scout in the beginning of June, and is VERY excited for her upcoming dance recital.  This year she has graduated from combo classes to Ballet I and Tap I, which means dancing with the "bigger" girls and learning more about each of those forms of dance.  She will be in a beautiful Victorian looking costume for her ballet number, which is to a score from the Tangled soundtrack, and for tap, she will be "taking flight" in a number to the theme song from "Catch Me if You Can."  She has completed her first year of faith formation (CCD), and recently saw many of the young boys and girls receive their first communion, which she is excited for (of course, at this moment it is because she will get to wear a pretty white dress).  My diva.

Regan:  Regan is also involved in ball this year, playing T-ball.  It is her first season being eligible to play, and she LOVES it.  She already is very skilled on the field and at the plate, definitely a natural.  Daddy gets to head coach this team, so she is super happy about that as well.  She, unlike Erinn, barely notices that she too is only one of two girls on the team.  That's my "boy"!  I personally think she hits better off pitching than off of the tee, but alas, she has to wait to graduate to that level.  She has also been taking a library class every Tuesday that she loves. As a Mommy, I love these classes too.  They are free, and I like that the girls will learn what a great community resource the library is (even in this technologically advanced age).   She gets read to, and then follows it up with a craft that is often themed to the books they had just read.  She also goes on Wednesday afternoons to read with a book buddy for a half hour.  Her reading is coming along nicely.  Not only is she cruising along with the Bob books, she has now been reading some easy reader books to Daddy at night, and is able to identify many sight words.  She knows her doubles facts up to 5+5, and recently had her Kindergarten registration, where she correctly identified all capital and lower case letters for the reading specialist, as well as telling the specialist all of the letter sounds.  I think she is ready...and I know she can't wait!  She continues to have some urological issues and sporadic accidents, but with constant reminders, and possibly restarting her medication, we think we can nip it in the bud before school starts.  She is also excited about her recital.  She dances her first dance to "Splish Splash", and her second dance is tap and to the tune of "Bare Necessities" from the Jungle Book.  I think I secretly get more excited than they do about it though.  I love seeing my girls on the stage!

Mattelyn:  I can sum it up in one word...CRAZY.  Crazy that my baby is already 8 months old, crazy that she has learned to do so much in what seems to have just been the last month, and crazy as in she IS crazy!!  She is truly mobile at this point, doing the "worm" everywhere.  Which means she is getting into so much more.  She is a reminder of when I need to vacuum, because she loves to high-tail it across the room to pick up that little bit of food left over on the floor and eat it!  You can lure her across a room with a cracker (not that I have tried), she certainly loves her food.  She is still eating baby food, but is expressing a clear disinterest in it if we have our dinner on the table at the same time.  She just wants to eat what we are eating, so often these days we cut our food into little pieces and let her sample it.  Soon she will graduate to milk, and before you know it, no more bottles.  Thinking about it saddens me, even if I am so proud of the strides she has made.  She can wave bye-bye and says "Buh-Buh" when she does it.  She does "so big", shakes her head no, signs more and all done, and just the other day went from a crawl to a sit position.  She will crawl over to your lap and is starting to pull herself up to a stand.  It is only a matter of time! She has also graduated from the baby tub and now sits in the big girl bath.  Again, another milestone that makes me teary.  I know I am biased, but she truly is a great baby.  She is a good sleeper, a great eater, and generally very happy.  And boy is she funny!!  Makes us laugh ALL of the time.  She is getting out of her Mommy monster days (for a bit, seperation from Mommy made her very unhappy), and loves when Daddy throws her around like the big sisters!

All in all, I am blessed.  I have had several tearful moments as of late, not the sad kind, but the thankful, "wow this is my life" kind.  My girls are so wonderful, and I am enjoying all of the stages they are going through.  Don't get me wrong, I want to often put them at the end of the driveway with a free sign on them, but at the end of those days, I still look at them sleeping and think, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Rob and I are also doing well, staying healthy by being active and trying to eat right.  Rob plays basketball and has started his baseball season as well.  I always look forward to watching him play, still to this day.  I have lost another 2 pounds recently, for a total of a 15 pound weight loss!  Feeling really good and with a lot more energy.

Wow!!  I guess maybe I should be better about this blog.  A lot more has gone on than even I thought!  It is hard at the end of the night.  I hunker down with my laundry to fold and watch my Dancing with the Stars or American Idol, and then I am pooped.  I will try to find more time to blog.   I know I certainly have thought of more thought provoking subjects to blog about.  Now I just have to put them on "paper".  I want to make sure I am not boring my followers with mundane Mommy pride blogs!!  

I hope this finds you all well, and I will write again....sooner than later.  : )

Blink...and March is gone!

Well hello there blog followers!  Long time no see...

March has been an incredibly busy month it turns out.  Illness finally left us (for a bit), and the warm weather came bounding in.  We had a wonderful St. Patricks Day weekend, filled with leprechaun traps, yummy food, and lots of family and friends time.

We started off March with the arrival of our Girl Scout Cookies!  Of course we were excited to eat them (perhaps my challenge to lose weight did not), but also excited to deliver them to all of the wonderful people who bought them!  We spent weekends delivering to some of our local friends, and then took advantage of one sunny Sunday afternoon to hit the neighborhood next to us.  Erinn got decked out in her "uniform", and we took a jaunt as a family up the hill to deliver the cookies.  All of the customers were so friendly, and we ended up getting quite the workout as well as having to take our jackets off because it was so warm!  I am sure everyone was just as excited to receive their treats as we were, and a couple of hours later we returned home tired and accomplished!  Erinn was so proud of how she had done.  All in all, she sold 216 boxes!!  That was double what she did last year.






We spent much of the next weeks spending lots of time outdoors because of the beautiful weather!  We joined lots of friends for walks around Harrybrooke Park, and I even got to purchase a new jogging stroller to go with my new obsession of running.  The girls got to ride bikes, play on the swings, we got new sidewalk chalk for the driveway, and even Mattelyn got to enjoy the outdoors in her exersaucer.  She is completely entranced with the springy sounds of the birds chirping, and she loves to feel the outdoor air.  She is going to follow suit of our other children, who you will never find indoors on a nice sunny day!

Our next adventure was St. Patricks Day!  We started out the day attending a birthday party for Regan's friend Aidan, and after that, got to meet Uncle Jamie, Amy, and Lily at Sarah Noble for a walk.  Lily is only 11 days younger than Mattie, and they hadn't seen each other in a while.  Although they didn't pay much attention to one another at all (in fact, I am not sure that either of them was fully aware of the others existence), us Mommies got to have a nice chat while the Daddies played catch and the older kids rode bikes.  It was a nice, but brief visit with the Reeds, and then we were off again, this time to the dollar store.  We purchased some new items for our Leprechaun trap, and then headed home to start production.  The girls had a blast building the trap, Mattie supervised from her high chair, and then we got some family shots in the front yard.  When all that was said and done, we were famished and getting chilly, so we headed in for some corned beef and cabbage and cupcakes for dessert!

Lily

Happy St. Patricks Day from the Williams Clan

That night, we set the trap and headed to bed.  Wouldn't you know it, those playful leprechauns showed up, played with our toys and left a mess.  Although we did not catch one, we deduced that one must have gotten caught in our trap briefly, as he left his hat behind!  Unfortunately, Mommy is not going to be able to keep up with these shenanigans because she has a very observant 6 year old that is on to her games!  What a nice day it was!

A Hat!

In other news, Mattelyn went for her 6 month checkup on Friday March 23rd.  She weighed in at a whopping 14lbs. 14oz, and was 25 1/2 inches long.  Why is it that I have the long skinny kids?  The pediatrician was impressed with the variety of foods she has consumed, which at this point consisted of a plethora of veggies, fruits, and some meats.  She is not a huge "meat eater", and although she prefers my homemade vegs and fruits, she is not a fan of the meat meals I make her.  Oh well, soon enough she will be eating table food on her own, and so it will only be a short while of giving her the processed baby food.  She is in the process of mastering her pincer grasp, and is able to eat Gerber puffs and wagon wheels, graham crackers, and cheerios on her own.  She has also gnawed on bread and rolls, and has been known to willingly have bites of whatever you are eating.  This week we are working on mastering a sippy cup with water, to help quench her thirst without having to resort to the bottle.  She sleeps great, is sitting up for longer periods at a time, is never in the same place I left her thanks to her "backwards crawling", and loves to jump.  She is becoming more and more independent by the day, and I find this rewarding and also a bit sad.  Where did my infant go?

This week is also a big week for the girls as they start T-ball/Rookie ball practices.  We went to the sporting goods store the other day to obtain all their equipment, and both girls are excited to be playing, and also to have Daddy as their coach.  Regan starts T-ball this year, and is a natural.  She is our "boy", and tends to be like her father in that she is good at just about everything she tries.  She has a cannon of an arm, and is super excited to be able to play this year and not just watch.  Big sister Erinn will have her first year of being on a team without a tee involved.  Now it is getting into the fundamentals of the game.  She is also quite gifted in this arena, but tends to be more of a diva.  I think she will like it better when she is on a team of all girls.  But her long legs give her a nice stride, and she is quick on the base path (big surprise).  I am excited as well, and will dust off my cheerleading skills just enough to be their biggest fan!

I am happy to report that Regan has also been doing better with her urological issues.  After seeing two pediatric urologists and trying her on a medicine for overactive bladder, we have actually found more success in a ten dollar potty watch from One Step Ahead.  The medicine caused her belly to be sick, and that was making things worse as opposed to helping the situation.  So we heard about the watch, and decided to give it a try.  She wears it like a regular watch, and it is set so that it plays a tune and lights up every half hour, reminding her to go try.  Although the days she goes to the bathroom every 10-15 minutes it is less than helpful, it has ultimately been a success with fewer accidents in the last week than she was having in one day alone!  We are hoping that this whole thing can be rectified prior to her going to Kindergarten in the fall.  The last thing she needs is a stigma, or kids to pick on her for something she has no control over.

This week, Rob and I also went to Erinn's parent-teacher conference.  Her teacher is absolutely wonderful, and thinks very highly of her.  Her reading and writing has improved since the last P-T conference (November), and she is right on track for entering second grade.  Of course I was pleased that academically she is doing well, but I think the highlight of the conference was when the teacher said that Erinn is always such a happy little girl, that she is a great friend to others, and always eager to learn new things and help out where she can.  Those are words that make my heart happy.  Of course I know she goes to school to learn, but knowing that she is such a good person in character is also important to me.  Rob and I have had several teachers tell us that we "must be doing something right", because our children are "so well behaved and such a pleasure to have around".  This is definitely good to hear, because we all know as parents, we often wonder if we are doing right by our children.  Ahhh, a sigh of relief and a well deserved pat on the back later, we left the conference and came home to hug our wonderful little girl.

It really has been a lovely couple of weeks.  Blessed with good weather, good company, and good news, we have all been in great spirits!  My continued challenge to lose 10 pounds in 100 days has also allowed me to have more energy and enjoy the days more.  I am successfully down 9 pounds, one whole pants size, and one more notch over on the belt!  I feel great, and that is what is most important.  Although some head colds/allergies/flu-ish like symptoms have gotten us down a little these past few days, we end March with renewed vigor, and ready to take on April just the same.  We have some wonderful plans to finish out March, including a visit to cousin Kayleigh's, our cookie booth sale for Daisies, and some much needed haircuts!  And then we head into April and are excited about egg coloring and Easter, spring vacation, and BASEBALL!  

Hopefully it will not be the end of April before I blog again, but I will not make any promises!!  Life is so full and busy, and that is great!  Although my blog should be the Williams Monthly at this point, that doesn't have quite the same ring to it.  I'll try harder.  Until next time...

Happy Spring!

This is what I call blessed!

Twenty two days? It's felt like two.

I find myself sitting here at the computer feeling like someone has taken a giant eraser to my mind.  I know that there has been so much that has filled up our days since my last blog (a whole 22 days ago).  My Williams Weekly has been, well, not so weekly.  And I am finding it difficult to find things to write about.  Do my followers want to know about my daily mundane tasks, or are they longing for something with a little more sustenance?  And it is just that that is leaving me here, blank.

Valentines Day turned out to be a wonderful time.  We had a regular start to the day, and then the fun started when we got Erinn from school.  We went to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D, and then came home to have our usual appetizer dinner in front of the fireplace.  We exchanged small gifts and had a nice, quiet evening at home.

Our Ambience

Since then, things have remained pretty uneventful I would say.  We have enjoyed every bit of warm, un-Februarylike weather that has come our way.  We are definitely outdoorsy type people, so this mild winter has been very favorable.  The kids have carried on with their usual activities that have kept us busy.  Ballet, Tap, Daisies, CCD...it seems like we are always on the go.  

Erinn has been improving with her reading and seems to be gaining more confidence in it.  We are looking forward to her upcoming parent-teacher conference, and as usual, she seems to be growing AGAIN (clearly is not my child).  She has been student of the day more than once, and really enjoys school.

Regan is Regan.  She tends to march to the beat of her own drummer.  She gets lost in whatever she is doing, but is wonderfully intelligent.  We will be attending her Kindergarten Orientation this week.  I can't believe that I will be putting her on a bus in September, she just still seems so little.  I am sure that it will be just as hard to watch her go as it was with Erinn.  She, on the other hand, is incredibly excited.

Mattelyn has been progressing with the vegetables and fruits, and this week she gets to start meats!  Although it was a rocky start with the peas, she has now advanced to eating a plethora of veggies.  She has had peas, green beans, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and corn.  This week, she will add yellow squash to her repertoire.  As for fruits, she has had avocado, pears, plums, peaches, apples, mango, bananas, and blueberries.  She seems to like them all and is chunking up nicely.  She has begun to move around some more, and loves to jump and "run".  She hitches herself backward, and turns in circles.  I rarely find her in the same place that I left her.  It is only a matter of time...

This past week was a rougher one, as both Regan and Mattie were sick.  After two doctors appointments, a specimen cup trip to the hospital, and a failed antibiotic, we learned that Mattie had RSV (a virus that affects mostly the respiratory tract).  The pediatrician said that Regan most likely had it too, as the antibiotic she had been on was successful at only giving her diarrhea, and not on healing her.  We lied low for a few days, and are now on the mend.  Luckily for Regan, it doesn't affect older children as much as babies.  We had little sleep, lots of cuddling, and hope for the end of this virus.  Every time the baby would cough, and ultimately end up gagging and choking, it would tear my heart out.  I am happy to report that she has regained her appetite, and is sleeping more soundly.  And Regan, who was none the worse for the wear, also is back to herself.  Erinn escaped the clutches of this one, and for that we are thankful.

In the coming weeks, we are looking forward to some exciting things.  St. Patricks Day is always fun with the girls.  We are excited to hear of the nice weather and higher temps that are promised for the end of the week.  T-ball should be starting within the month, and both girls get to play this year.  Erinn will be moving up to the rookie league this year, no more tee for her!

I have been quite productive as well with my weight loss challenge.  After a brief (month long) hiatus post the stomach bug, I am back in the saddle.  I have successfully lost 5 pounds, and am doing cardio workouts 5 days a week.  I have never been a distance runner, so I was super proud when I ran just a little over 4 miles the other day.  I am hoping to get back to doing some 5K's, and maybe the 5 mile Pumpkin Run in the fall.  Overall, it feels good, and I am happy that I accepted the challenge in the first place.  The weight is not falling off as easily as it did after the last two kiddos!

I hope that I am able to provide you all with a little more "interesting reading" next time.  Until then, I hope that this finds you well!

The Return...

Well, somehow the Williams Weekly blog has been lengthened to the Williams Tri-weekly blog!  Of course, not being intentional on my part.  Post our very eventful week full of sickness and parties, we have lived a relatively low-key life.  Don't get me wrong, things here are hectic all the time.  That sort of thing tends to happen when you have 800 kids.  : )  But the last half of the week and our weekend were very busy, and all in a good way.  Most importantly, we are happy to report that Miss Mattelyn has made some progressions since we last wrote.  Number One, she has discovered her feet.  Not just seeing them, but actually playing with them and even better, trying to eat them (as she does everything)!  I am excited about all of this, as I have always wanted that roly-poly baby that would grab their feet and longingly pull on them til they reached their little mouth.  And alas, I finally have that baby!  It's the little things in life that jazz me up.  She is so incredibly cute when she does it, and doesn't quite understand why it jolts away from her in a heartbeat.  She will look around as if to say, "Hey, who took my foot!"

Number Two, she has begun to eat something other than oatmeal and formula...veggies!  I had to dust off my baby food making tools and skills, and spent an afternoon in the kitchen whipping up the greens (we started all kids with greens, then went to yellows/oranges, and finally to whites).  As of tonight, she has tried all of the ones I made, and here is the consensus.  Broccoli and zucchini will be consumed without any additions, but green beans, spinach, and peas require a mix of vegetable and oatmeal.  Some of you may have caught the video of us feeding her peas for the first time.  This was the first veg that we fed each of the girls, and none of them liked it at first, but she was the first to gag and shutter at them!  Eventually, when mixed with oatmeal, she ate them all, and has done the same with the others.  Ultimately, I would say greens are a hit.  This week we will add in butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and corn, and next week we'll start fruit!  Such accomplishments!

Ugh, these are awful...

Ok, maybe they are not so bad!

Number Three, she learned to roll over.  Initially, it was just a belly to back situation, but now she can go back to belly as well.  She spends much of her time rolling around the living room floor now, or turning like a sundial.  She can also pull her knees up under her, and hitch forward ever so slightly.  I recognize this as a sign she may be like Regan, who was walking at 9 months.  Boy am I in for it...again!  She has already made changing her diapers an olympic- like event.  The "Let's see if Mommy can get me clean as I contort my body" individual event.  I am a bit out of practice, but think I may nail it in no time.  Regardless, gone are the days of leaving her on a couch, changing table, bed, etc, as I step away for a moment.  Good thing my gates are still installed.  And that about sums it up for the little Miss.

My bigger girlies have been pretty busy as well.  Erinns school will be celebrating their 100th day this week, and so we needed to do a project for that, as well as make our own homemade Valentines.  For her 100th day project, we painted Q-tips tips different colors with paint.  We used this time to also work on some math concepts like grouping things, symmetry lessons, and counting by 10's.  As well as division, which she didn't know she was doing (teehee).

100 day project (and yes, those are bathing suits they are wearing)

Our homemade Valentines this year were so fun!  I admit, I got the idea off of a website back in November, when I was looking for something else.  I just decided to put it in my rolodex of ideas and save for Valentines.  I was nervous at first, I am creative, but not always good about putting my ideas into practice.  We decided to make heart shaped crayons, made from melted crayons.  They were surprisingly easy, the girls had fun doing them...and so did Rob and I.  And, they came out great, always a bonus!

The beginning of the cards

Daddy and Mattelyn help out

One of our finished products!

Funny how a weekend full of projects looks so menial when put altogether in cute packages at the end.

Our children and their daily affairs are probably the most newsworthy to report, Rob and I are pretty boring otherwise.  I did find out this week that I have Lyme Disease.  Where I got it, I have absolutely no clue.  Nor do I know how long I have had it.  But one thing is for sure, it answers a lot of questions as to why I have been so fatigued, irritable, and most importantly, as though I have had the body of an 80 year old for a few weeks now.  Although the medication is less than appealing, I am confidant it will help, and I can get back on track to lose my 10 pounds!

This week we look forward to celebrating Valentines together as a family.  The last few years we have had a meal in front of the fireplace.  A warm and cozy way to celebrate, and this year, we have one more to add to our romantic ambience.  It is sure to be as wonderful as it has been in the past.  

We hope that you all enjoy your Valentines as well.  And I hope to be more vigilant about getting back to you all in a more timely manner!  Have a super week!

This is how they keep me quiet while they cook dinner!  : )

Baptism, snow, and...a bug?

After a very fun and eventful week last week, we entered into a less fun, perhaps slightly more eventful week this week.  Our week started off great, with the Baptism of our little Mattelyn, on Sunday.  We were the only ones there, just a small group of family and close friends, and it was absolutely perfect and personal.  Our friends Dennis and Jill (Mattelyn's Godparents), came the night before, and Jillian assisted me with mundane tasks such as new shower curtain hanging, and last minute tidying.  The day was perfect, sunny but cold, and we all headed back to the house for a small reception afterwards, spending the day with those we love.  It was nice, and at the end of the day, I even cried a little because it was over.  Being with family and friends is one of my most favorite things.







My euphoria was short lived however.  Not long into my slumber that night, I was awakened by a small crying voice at the food of my bed, "Moooommmmyyy."  I got out of bed to see little Regan Elizabeth standing there crying...and holding two palmfuls of vomit.  She proceeded to get sick every hour until 6am.  And then spent the rest of the day on the couch, in and out of sleep, looking so pathetic, and breaking my heart in the process.  I notified the rest of our guests that morning, only to find out that some others had had similar evenings.  Over the next week, we would learn of several people falling victim to this awful bug, including all five of us, and my poor father who became so dehydrated from it, he ended up in the ICU of the hospital with acute renal failure (meaning his kidneys were failing as a result of the dehydration).  He is much better now, and will probably be coming home early this week.  But boy, what a downer.  And unlike our previous week that was so hectic, we spent much of the week home and on the couch.  It was then that I realized a few things.  First off, I survived it.  Yes, even the nurse gets anxiety ridden for some illnesses, and for me, the one that frightens me the most is the stomach bug.  My children have been fortunate to never have gotten it up to this point, so I only had others testimonials to go by.  And whenever I knew someone going through it, I would privately quarantine myself from them for a few weeks (sorry friends).  Secondly, amidst all of this though, I did find a positive in the whole experience (part of my trying to remain optimistic).  I got to spend quite a bit of time just loving my babies.  It certainly was wonderful being a "Mommy-Nurse" to my most favorite patients.  Although the bug continued into this weekend, and confined me to the bed for much of Saturday, I am hopeful that it has done its damage here and can now move on.

On a lighter note, we experienced our first real snow fall for 2012, and the kids got to go out and enjoy some playtime, including Mattelyn, who was experiencing snow for the first time.  It is clear that Erinn is a daredevil, and loves to go from the tippiest top of the hill all the way to the bottom, the faster the better, and all while munching snow and talking the entire way down.  Regan is good for a few runs herself, but her little 4 year old legs tire quickly from the uphill treks, and she is perfectly content to come inside earlier than everyone else, and curl up to watch some TV.  Mattelyn has yet to form an opinion on the matter, we shall see where she falls in the spectrum...one of these days.

Despite our battles this week, we still had some wonderful things go on (as we always do).  Erinn brought home a spelling test that she got a perfect score on, Regan got to do "gynnastics" at a party today, and Mattelyn had her 4 month checkup.  She weighs in at a whopping 13lbs. 6.5oz. but is 24 inches long (yes, I have string bean children).  She has gotten the go ahead to start veggies in 2 weeks, and fruits 2 weeks after that.  Time to break out the old food processor!  So big so quickly, ugh.  Now why did I have to go and blink?

I am honestly happy to bid adieu to this week, and hope this next one is better.  But first, i'll leave you with my favorite Regan-ism of the week.  She would come up to the bedroom frequently yesterday to "check" on me, often giving me updates of what was going on downstairs.  When I asked her what Daddy was doing one of the times, she said, "he is holding Mattelyn in one arm and trying to get her to go to sleep, and he is looking at his phone while he holds it in the other hand.  I think Daddy must be magical."

Gotta love that kid...

Until next time friends!
-A