Springtime of Hope Pageant

 

We participated in the Springtime of Hope Pageant again this year!  Here we are before heading off to the pageant!

 

Lila was up first!

Being a little shy!

Madelyn was up next

She was mimicking everything mommy did!

Waving bye!

Waiting for the final results

Lila won best dressed and Madelyn didn’t win anything but they both did an awesome job!

While waiting for the girls awards to be announced Carter was being watched by Grammy in the hall while I waited with the girls.  Suddenly, we all hear a fire alarm going off.  Then I quickly find out that it was my dear son that pulled the alarm by accident. He was in tears and so upset because he obviously had no idea that he shouldn’t pull the bright red very appealing button.  Of course, I didn’t feel as forgiving at the time but soon enough the were able to turn off the alarm and we proceeded on with the pageant putting everything a half hour behind schedule. We are thankful for a very forgiving Yolanda (the pageant director).

Carter taking the stage with his very big personality (after the alarm fiasco).

Of course, showing off

Waving at Grammy, Grampy, Mamoo and Papoo in the audience,

While waiting in the back before announcing the winners I allowed Carter to play with a few pieces of wood blocks.  Big mistake as when it was time to go back on stage he did not want to leave the blocks.  So as he screamed and sobbed uncontrollably on stage….

And he then won Mr personality (haha), most photogenic and then he won the whole thing!!!  Toddler Price of the Springtime of Hope Pageant and he loved the crown!

Big stuff

He loved it so much that he wouldn’t take it off!

Lila showing everyone her medal!

And sweet Madelyn won my heart!!!

We had so much fun dressing up as usual and can’t wait to do it again next year!

It’s a GIRL!

 

We are having a little girl!  She is developing great and weighed in at 10oz at my 19 week ultrasound on May 1st.

She wasn’t in the best position for the ultrasound so we were not able to get a lot of great pictures but they were able to get all the measurements they needed and see all the vital organs.  It was so funny because she appeared to be so squished in there.  I said “doesn’t she know how good she has it in there…she doesn’t have to share that space that anyone….stretch out and enjoy!”

I love her!!! What a sweet profile picture!

I think we may have another thumb sucker.  You can see her mouth slightly opened in this picture and above her mouth is her hand that she appears to be trying to suck!

I love feet!!!

I will be having another ultrasound at 24 weeks which was decided by one of the doctors before this ultrasound just to check the baby’s growth.  Since Madelyn IUGR “growth restriction in utero” was unexplained they just want to take a second look to make sure she is growing ok.  But according to this ultrasound she doesn’t seem to be behind at all but I will take another peek at her no problem!

I first started feeling little movements around 17 weeks but now I am feeling her move around like crazy.  She is a very active little girl and at times it has felt like she is doing summer saults in there.

I guess I have been experience “nesting” which I never had the joy of during the last pregnancy since at 20 weeks I was on bedrest. I have to say that I love it…this house has never been more organized and cleaned than it is now and I am not even done.

The kids love talking about the baby in mommy’s belly.  In fact, every time we talk about it Madelyn insists on pulling up my shirt and looking for the baby…even when I have a dress she must see the belly which is not fun when in public.  One day, I asked the kids what was in mommy's belly and Madelyn lifted up my shirt and said there is a baby in there...hi baby!!! Then she looks at me confused and says why can't I see the baby?!?! As Carter proceeds to stick his finger in my belly button trying to touch the baby!

Baby Belly picture on the day of the ultrasound at 19 weeks!

March for Babies and 2 1/2 year olds

 

This past Sunday we walked in the March for Babies Walk in Cincinnati.  This is our 3rd year to walk and every year I am more thankful for my 3 beautiful blessings. Thanks to some of the research funded by the March of Dimes my sweet babies are here today.  We also walked this year because we hope and pray that baby #4 is a happy healthy full term baby.  We are so grateful for everyone who donated on our behalf this year and helped us surpass our goal and give back $500—we can’t say thank you enough for your support and generosity! 

Wow…2 1/2 already!!!  We are typical 2 1/2 year olds with serious attitudes, tantrums some days, bouncing off the walls with enormous amounts of energy, talking up at storm and having lots and lots of love to give to make up for all of it!

Well I think I am safe to say that we have 2 out of 3 potty trained!!  A few weeks ago mom came to help me with our 3 day potty boot camp.  It was 3 very crazy days but well worth it. Madelyn caught on within the first 4 hours and Lila had it down by day 2.  Poor Carter tried but he would just get too busy playing or watching TV to bother with going to the potty.  So I am still working with him but giving him a little break from it for now!  But I am happy with soon to be 2 out of 4 in diapers…better than all 4!

We are so busy lately just with the day to day routine that there is never a dull moment.  During our now much shorter 1 1/2 half nap I spend that time cleaning, doing laundry, picking up toys or catching up on something that I can’t do while they are awake.  But I am so thankful that they are still napping…it could always be worse, right?!?!

Eating strawberries right out the container!

We love story time at the library!

We spend any warm day outdoors and loving swinging with our babies!

Madelyn is very dedicated to her babies.  She is such a little momma!

And Lila likes to play the boss mommy and she also like to help mommy clean!

And then there is the boy….this is what he does…he falls down the stairs onto the concrete. I really thought it was going to be a lot worse than it was but this was the first of many I am sure!

Happy Easter

 

Happy Easter!!!  We had a wonderful Easter and this year the kids really enjoyed hunting for eggs.  On the Saturday night before Easter, we heard a lot of talking coming from their room right after they had went to bed.  They kept talking about the Easter Bunny coming and if Jesus was here.  It was so cute!  We had been talking a lot about the meaning of Easter which included the Easter Bunny talk so I guess they were really paying attention!  Oh course, the next morning they were so super excited to see the baskets full of candy and gifts.

Getting SO big!

We participated in 2 egg hunts and one at Mamoo and Papoo’s!!!  We are overflowing with candy!

We didn’t do so well with the Easter Bunny this year…to my surprise!!! They loved Santa but heck with the bunny!!!

Surprise!!!!

 

Yep that’s right Mommy is Expecting!  God decided to Bless us with this little surprise peanut and we are so excited.  We really never knew if it would be possible for us to have another baby at least the easy way.  But this was super easy…no planning, no talking about it just bam!

Rewind to the last week in January, I was at my parents house with the kids for a few days and Clue #1 was taking a lot of naps and laying around but I just attributed that to the fact that I had help and was just catching up on some much needed rest.  Clue #2 the dog was acting really strange around me, following me everywhere I went and never leaving my side so I thought that was a little strange.  Clue #3 we left to head home and I couldn’t button my jeans but I assumed I had eaten too much while I was there.  Clue #4 I was a few days late.  So on the way home I decided to stop and get a pregnancy test and on Monday January 30th I took the test and much to my surprise a big FAT positive appeared.  I couldn’t believe my eyes and honestly wasn’t sure what to think.  Obviously, I thought it must be wrong.  I was so afraid to tell Brad because I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be since we really had went back and forth about whether we would have another baby or not.  He knew something was wrong because I can’t hide my feelings well and he says to me jokingly “What, are you pregnant or something.” I reply “YES” and he just looks at me and says “WHAT?”  "Yep I took a test” and he was actually excited which was a huge relief to me but I think he really hadn’t had time to digest it!

We decided to wait to tell our parents until we had an ultrasound to confirm that everything was ok which wasn’t going to happen for another 4 weeks.  So on February 14th, we went in to see our growing little peanut and there was the baby growing right on schedule and looking great.  It was the fastest ultrasound I have ever had. With the triplets my ultrasounds were usually an hour and a half but at the minimum 20-30 minutes when it was a quick check. This took 5 minutes and it was over and I ask “is this really it?!?!?”  I have decided to go back to the high risk doctors at Good Sam not because I am high risk but because they accept previous patients back and I just felt more comfortable there.  So we went home with our pictures to our house first where my parents were watching the kids. I had printed up Valentine Day cards with the kids pictures.  We gave them the card with the ultrasound picture behind and I wish so much I would have had a camera.  Their faces were priceless especially my dad who couldn’t process at all what he was looking at until we had to spell it out, he was in such disbelief.  We then headed to Brad’s parents to do the same and immediately they said “are you trying to tell us something?”  Obviously, both were very elated.

We decided to wait until we were at least 12 weeks to start spreading the news to friends and the world but we are very excited to say we are now 15 weeks along and growing growing growing!  The baby is due on September 25!

The first 11 weeks, I was nauseated a lot and feeling totally exhausted.  I would lay on the floor and read books to the kids and have such a hard time keeping my eyes open and I would doze off sometimes only to hear “Mommy wake up, Mommy wake up” and always took naps when they did.  Thankfully I am feeling much better most days!!

This pregnancy is so foreign to me.  I actually have no restrictions for now and only one more ultrasound.  This part is hard for me!  I seen the babies at least every 4 weeks and after 25 weeks I seen them everyday.  So I am always excited for the next doctor’s appointment so I can hear the heartbeat!  And in just 3 1/2 weeks we will find out if it’s a boy or a girl!

Fun in February

 

Sister’s are the best!!!!  These girls are so sweet (when they want to be of course!)

Lila’s latest development is that she now likes and insists on picking out her own clothing. There is usually no encouraging her to wear something else…its that or nothing and same goes for jammies.  She’s only 2 isn’t it a little too early for this!  Madelyn on the other hand has followed in her foot steps but you can more easily talk her into wearing something else or something that at least matches.

 

This child is such a girl and quite the diva.  Besides the fact that she must pick out her own clothes she also has to change 1 or 2 times a day.  I think laundry maybe in her future.  Lila is starting to speak really well.  She says thank you mommy or thank you daddy…which I think is so cute that she is combining words together and adding names.  She is pretty much talking in full sentences which most of the time is great but at times I also wish she couldn’t talk so well. She is also really starting to reason things out and asking questions and trying to reason the answer with of course more questions!    Anytime she hurts herself now even the slightest bit she comes running to me saying “kiss it mommy” I kiss the boo boo and then she says “thank you mommy all better" and runs off.  

 

Carter and all of his beautiful hair.  He is in desperate need of a haircut but I always hate getting it cut because it is so gorgeous. He is all boy he loves nothing more than to torment his sisters and cause chaos and then when he knows he is in trouble he wants you to hold him and he will give you a great big hug as if to say I can charm my way out of this. Ill hear a sister laughing and crying at the same time and go where they are to see him sitting on top of them and he refuses to get up.  He is quite the challenge these days and absolutely nothing phases him. He falls down he gets up, he climbs on tables and falls off to get right back on (after he has been in time out for standing on the table), he amazes me everyday with the new things he finds to get into. He still loves to read every moment he gets he wants someone to look at books with him.  He is so smart and can remember so much but when it comes to using the words in a conversation he is still struggling with that…he just prefers his own language.

 

This little peanut is as sweet as she can be.  She is first to share a toy and is truly the peacemaker of the family.  There is rarely a moment that you don’t see her with a huge grin on her face. She is a chatter box and the funny thing is that you understand every word she says.  She likes to say “look at me”  when she is doing something she wants us to see and she looks through these binoculars we have and says “I see you mommy I see you daddy.” She has a pretty big personality as well.  We were at Children’s for an eye appointment and as I took her and Carter back while leaving the waiting room she turned to every person there as we walked by and waved and said bye really loud to each one….it was like she was the queen in the parade…the people just laughed because it was so stinking cute.  She is also very polite…she always says please and thank you sometimes 5 or 6 times…I guess she just wants us to know how thankful she is!  Believe it or not she is the last one to leave the dinner table and is usually still eating even after we have finished.  She is such a good eater and generally cleans her plate and isn’t too picky!  Although junk food is still her favorite.

 

Lila’s latest creation…I was quite impressed with her playdoh imagination.  I that was super fun trying to separate the colors to put it away!

It was getting close to naptime one day and I found them in the living room like this saying night night mommy.  I guess they wanted to sleep in the living room!!

Already almost 28 months old?!?!?!  I had to think about that…I hardly refer to months anymore which is even more sad!