Merry Christmas!

May His love surround you, protect you, and be with you on Christmas and always!

My baby girl at 4 months!

Here in her Thanksgiving outfit and her Christmas outfit. Love the turkey dress...it was a have to have dress the moment I saw it at the craft fair. And she looked oh so cute in it too. She's sleeping through the night now 12+ hours and here in there she'll get up at 4 to nurse. She's still a dream baby. Perfectly happy 99.9 % of the time. She drools ALL the time and EVERYWHERE. Bibs are a must with her (however, I don't like them.) She is a finger sucker. Normally it's 2 fingers at a time. Doesn't care for the pacifier but will take it on occasion. She is absolutely in LOVE with Parker...they are buddies. She thinks he's the funniest thing ever. She only laughs the belly laughs with him. Cole likes to jump on and hurt the little girl...I don't see them being too good of buddies at all. He LOVES to scare her and see her jump out of her skin. Not nice at all. She's getting so big and already it seems like I was never pregnant. We are holding off on cereal til closer to 6 months, but not certain we will make it that long. She's been eying our food already and salivates even more at it's sight. Oh how I just love this little girl more than you know! ;)

It's been awhile...

and I have been BUSY! So busy and stressed to the point I had a migraine Friday. I've only had 2 others and they were almost exactly 4 years ago. Not fun, but thank goodness Bill was home and able to take off work to be with the kids while I slept it off.

Anyway, back to BUSY! It's been non stop around here since oh about my last post. I've been busy with photography and getting all that wrapped up in time for Christmas. I designed 4 sets of Christmas cards this year as well...ours included. Between editing, taking pictures, and editing some more I've decided to "take a break" from photography for awhile. Having 3 kids takes a lot out of a mom and I need to give more of me to my kids right now...to ENJOY them. I still have my peeps that will ALWAYS be on my picture taking list and they know who they are. I want it to remain fun and by stepping back I'm hoping that my love for it will come back as well. The last thing I want is it to feel like a job and right now that is how I feel. While my break isn't a total break from photography...Lord knows how much stuff I have on the back burner right now waiting til after the holidays. It's merely, not taking any new clients I suppose. ;)

So the other night I took some pics of our Christmas tree (the big one!) Yes, we have more than one. Actually, we have 6. The kids each have a little table top tree in their rooms decorated to the theme in their room. Chloe's is pink and all girly. Cole's is done is sports balls. Parker's is transportation themed. In the bonus room we have our "sentimental tree." Those ornaments haven't been up for a couple years because of Cole and most likely will not be up next year either because of Chloe. In the dining room, I put up a little 4 ft tree...not much to it. ;) The "big tree" for those that are wondering is all SHATTERPROOF! I learned this was the only way to go since Parker's second Christmas. I'm sure it will remain for the next several years as well! lol

I have taken pics...lots of pictures of the kiddos, but I have yet to edit any of them. I hope to do a couple at least in the next few days and get them posted. I'm not even sure what else to say after all this mumbo jumbo....lol!

From last week!

Parker was out of school last Tuesday for teacher in-service so I took advantage and did a photo shoot of all of them. It seems to work better for the boys when I don't get them all dressed up and take them somewhere...all they had here was their undies!

Chloe's 3 month pics

Dressing up in some of the cheap costumes I picked up for dress up!

Our weekend!

Friday was Cole's 3rd birthday and we took a trip to get pumpkins. We wanted to wait for Parker but decided to go without as rain was coming. Good thing we did! It started pouring right as P stepped off the bus. It was super windy and took Chloe's breath away so she wasn't out of the van but for a couple minutes...long enough for a few pics.
Celebrated at Chuck E. Cheese with pizza and games Friday night. Followed by a trip to Toys R Us. It was a late night for all of us! Cake was put off til Saturday. Cole picked out his own cake...decided on a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake! Good stuff!

The best reaction to opening any of his presents...Nerf gun.
Chloe bug sporting her new brown headband. She looks so cute in brown.
Parker carving his pumpkin...aka destroying. He said he made a noodle and a spoon...he made holes on each side of his pumpkin.
Daddy doing some serious pumpkin carving. He's using the Dremel.
The end result...quite fitting...wouldn't you agree?
The boys really had a number of choices this year of what to dress up as. I've been buying super cheap costumes at a local store for them to dress up in. So they had numerous choices and Parker ended up being a race car driver, Cole a fireman, and Chloe was a pink cat or panther. It was cute and warm on her. We were the only trick or treaters in our neighborhood. There were about 12 houses or so that we went to. Let me tell you they made out like bandits. I've discovered that if I leave the candy in a bowl on the table Cole doesn't eat it. If I put it in the pantry or cabinet he sniffs it out and eats it all. Funny huh?

Happy Birthday Coley!

My Coley monster is 3 years old today! So hard to believe! I cannot imagine our family without this sweet boy in it. He knows how to make us all laugh and is quite the lover at times. He can also throw a fit like no other and is the master whiner! lol Such a joy he is! Coley we are
very blessed that God chose us to be your parents.

All our love,
Mommy, Daddy, Parker, and Chloe

The boys and girl!

I managed to take a picture of each of my kiddos today! Go me! lol I had only intended to get a pic of Chloe because she is 13 weeks today. The boys' pics were a bonus. For Cole's birthday party I found goggles on the clearance rack at Walmart and P had to give them a try in the tub tonight. Perfect for washing hair. ;) Cole didn't like them but I got a pic of him with his toys nonetheless.

Busy weekend!

This weekend we had Cole's 3rd birthday party. He chose to have a pool party this year and went with a digger cake. Two of his favorite things for sure! He had so much fun swimming he keeps asking if he can go back and swim. I believe all those in attendance had fun as well with all the splashing, screaming, and sliding that was going on. Thank you to everyone that came and celebrated with Cole.
Sunday night was our church's annual hayride and bonfire. This year was a blast. Not sure if it was the arrangement of the festivities that was better or the fact that we know so many more AWESOME people at church or both. I'm thinking BOTH! Really we have been apart of this church since the very first service a little over 2 years ago. It's so awesome and we are so blessed to be apart of it!
Anyway, our little Chloe bug and her new little hat! She has gotten many "Ahhh, look how cute she is!" while wearing it. I'd have to agree, but I am also biased! {wink} I LOVE HER!
Lol, this was so much fun. No, I didn't win, but I got one heck of a workout! My legs felt like
jello after just 2 jousting matches. If you ever have a chance to do this you really should!

12 weeks!

Our precious girl is 12 weeks old already! It hardly seems possible really! She's 11 pounds 14 ounces and 23 inches. She is now starting to giggle and has a quota of just once a day. lol I'm sure it will be more shortly because she is such a happy girl. She likes to sit up and does very well in her bumbo seat. She almost always has bubbles on her lips and is requiring a bib to catch all of her drool. Still a fabulous sleeper too. Oh and we are back to nursing...strictly nursing. Let's just say I needed the break to get myself feeling better. I'm better than ever now and we are both doing very well.

Fall Break!

Last week was fall break which meant NO SCHOOL for a week! Instead of sticking around we decided to hit the road. The only thing we knew we were doing for sure was visiting GG. So Monday we packed up and headed out. We decided right before leaving that we would head to Louisville, KY and stay in a hotel for the night then hit the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. So we did. What we discovered was Chloe is NOT much of a traveler and 4 hours is her limit...at least it was on the way there. (Photo above: P taking advantage of jumping on the hotel bed...love it!)

P and Babe Ruth. Btw, totally recommend visiting the Louisville Slugger museum!
The big bat and glove that the boys thought were pretty cool.
After leaving Louisville we headed to IN and stayed with the Croells for a couple days. Spent an afternoon in Chicago Wednesday. Took the kids to the childrens museum at Navy Pier which was super cool.
Not too bad of a picture taken from inside the van while moving with the window up!;)
The fun house mirrors were pretty neat. We got MANY laughs from seeing ourselves in them.

Of course, I have 3 boys that insisted I get a picture of this....a fire boat!
A visit with GG! Her place of choice to eat lunch... McDonalds! We did have 5 kiddos with us so they were excited. She is a pretty cool great grandma!

Left for the St.Louis area Friday morning to visit with the Grammys and Papas and stayed for a couple days. Headed home Sunday night. We had a blast "flying by the seat of our pants" as we kept saying but it was good to get home and get back to the daily grind.

Chloe

So we've had the Flip video for a few months now and I'm finally getting around to figuring out
how to post! Took this of Chloe last night! Of course, she quit talking as soon as I started taking the video but you can enjoy her smiles nonetheless!

My blessings!

I love this picture...totally them! I'm so lucky to have ALL of them in my life. And very PROUD to be called their wife and mommy!
So for the past few weeks I have been telling Bill that Chloe is totally HIM! He doesn't think so! I kept telling him I'm going to take pics of the two of you together and then maybe you'll see it! So today was the day. How can he say she doesn't look like him? I mean look....same ears, same face shape, same double chin, same eyes! All I have to say is thank goodness I have one child that looks like me! lol {wink} What do you think?

A few from the past week!

Little Miss is 10 weeks today! Cole wanted to put her in the Bumbo this morning and she did really well!

All ready for church!
"I workin," said Coley when I went out to check on him.

9 weeks!

Little Miss is 9 weeks today! It hardly seems possible some days. She makes us happy...very happy! Look at that sweet smiley face! Since my last post she has been smiling and cooing so much. She's even sharing with Daddy now too! Whew! At first it was only at Mommy! Speaking of Daddy don't you think she looks like him? I swear they are twins when he holds her. Really! She even shares his double chin...love it! She's a big girl now and is sleeping in her crib upstairs! It was hard on me the first night, but she does great! She goes down between 8-9 and sleeps til about 3-4 most nights. She is a wonderful sleeper and loves her crib much more than the pack n play. She loves baths and getting lotion...makes Mama happy...I see spa time together in the future ;). She also doesn't mind tummy time at all. She just lays there smiling and blowing bubbles and kicks her little legs. If she crawls as fast as she is moving those legs now we are in for trouble in a few months.

My girl...

is getting so big! Today she smiled and coo'd at me A LOT! I loved every minute of it and of course wanted to capture the smile. She is really quick with the really big smiles so this is
about as good as I could get today. And the funny one below...love it! I'm can totally picture her
doing this in about 2 years to her brothers. Can you? :)
Well I have to admit I feel defeated. My goal with her was to nurse her for a year just like I did the boys. I mean I had no problems except mastitis 3 times with Cole, but we managed somehow to keep on. I was good until I started my medicine almost 2 weeks ago. Everyday my milk supply is less and less. I've tried nursing on demand...which was getting to be every hour and a half. I tried pumping every 2 hours while giving her formula to try and boost my supply. Nothing I tell you has worked so on Sunday I bought *gasp* formula. As much as I feel like a failure for not being able to feed my child I know it's the right thing for her. She takes a bottle like a champ and has since we had to supplement in the hospital. She hasn't had a problem with formula at all either. So we decided that rather than me go off the medicine and be crazy mom/wife again. That a happy mom is better for all of us. Really it is! I cannot tell you how much better I feel. How much more I enjoy sitting and watching my children and hugging them rather than yelling at them for the littlest things. I've not been putting as much on my "to do" list as I was. Thank goodness...that was stressing me out. I'm now enjoying just holding Chloe and taking every ounce of her in...her long eyelashes, the heart on her forehead, her short fuzzy hair, her long toes. I know that it goes by so fast. I don't want to look back and have any regrets that I didn't enjoy my blessings when they were little. So now that I'm crying...

Fall is in the air...well in pictures at least!

Saturday we went to Christian Way Farm in KY! We went with a couple of our church families. It was a GREAT farm and fun was had by all...or most! ha The farm was equipped with farm animals that we fed, a corn maze, a corn truck, play grounds, and a pick your own pumpkin patch. That was by far the most awesome for me. I've never searched for just the right pumpkin and picked it right from the vine. I have to say this will probably be a yearly visit from now on. It was so much fun.
The humidity was HIGH...not so good for the hair! lol
How cute?! Let me tell you these piggies STINK! It was awful! It was the worst smell ever...one that almost made us lose our marbles. It was bad!

Cole feeding the "baby cow." Right after this picture he dropped all the corn he had. I'm thinking the cow's tongue on his hand freaked him out a bit. lol
Grinding up the corn to feed the animals.