Caroliney!! This girl keeps us on her toes and ensures there is never a dull moment. She is hilarious and wild! Hard to believe she is 3 - she was so excited to turn 3 and milked it for all it was worth. For weeks leading up to her party she would threaten Harper and Emma Kate with not being invited to her party if they weren't nice to her! Fortunately she allowed them to attend ;)
Caroline goes to Mother's Day out 3 mornings per week - usually she likes it but some days she asks to stay home and play. She is a little homebody and is content playing with her dress up, paint, and playdoh at home! She does love seeing Ava at school though, and her bff 'Woo-wis' (lewis).
She is daddy's girl, for sure. When I ask her if we are best buddies she usually says 'my best buddy is toothless and daddy' :). She continues to sleep in her 'cwib' with a Giant pile of books, toys, stuffed animals, etc. We are thankful she has not attempted to climb out but are kind of scared for what will happen when we move to a big girl bed. We typically have moved them over at 3yo but we decided that since we're about to move to the farm anyways, we'd just hold off for now. I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot of Caroline in the middle of the night once her 'walls are off da cwib'.
She is rough and tough and has a temper that may shock some but at the same time she loves all things princess and girly. She will wrestle with Harper and poke at Emma Kate until EK cries. She loves Macky and is concerned about him when he's hurt but at the same time does not want to share a thing with him.
She is quite independent and that makes us feel both proud and terrified. Yesterday I heard her dragging a chair into the bathroom - figured she was probably using it to wash her hands or play in the sink. Later when I found her with a pile of band aids she told me she used the chair so she could climb up the shelves in the closet to get to the band aids on the top shelf! Fortunately no one was injured with her antics. She is the pickiest eater and we try to encourage her to eat whatever is being served for meals but if she doesn't like it she usually waits until we're gone then climbs into the pantry to indulge in whatever carbs she can find. I have found her with scissors and bags of food more than one time trying to open them up herself!
She is so excited to go to school with Harper and Emma Kate next year - I can't believe the time has come for that but I do think she will love seeing them and all their friends. We love this wild girl and are so thankful for her!!
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Mack - 1 year old
Our sweet baby boy is officially 1! SO hard to believe how fast this past year has flown. Literally feels like yesterday that he came into our world yet also feels like he has been with us forever.
Macky as everyone lovingly refers to him is one happy little dude. He's got two bottom teeth fully through and he is working on cutting his top two teeth. I feel like top teeth change the way babies look so much so I'm holding onto this little baby face of his! He has been cruising around for a couple months but is not interested in walking on his own at all yet. He has the fastest army crawl in town but over the last month or two he has been crawling on all fours when he's not in too much of a hurry. Outside on the concrete he crawls like a bear to keep his little legs from getting too skinned up.
He gets so excited when Andy comes home but then is pretty much mama's boy the rest of the time. Just over the last few weeks he's gotten a teensy bit more snuggly which is appreciated!! He is not a snuggler at all so I will take anything I can get :). He loves to give hugs and will lay his little head down on your shoulder when you ask for a hug. He also clicks his mouth to make a kissing noise whenever we kiss him.
We think he's intentionally saying Mama, Dada so far, loves to wave. Emma Kate loves to entertain him in the car and they are big buddies :). Caroline does not appreciate him in her space which happens quite frequently. Harper is always there to entertain him and keep an eye on him when I need some help.
He used to LOVE baths but then when he realized he can stand up in there he started freaking out when he'd get close to the water. Somehow we've overcome that and he will sit and play for a few minutes until it's hair washing time and then he's ready to get out of there!
Favorite toys include balls and remotes. If he has a remote and you try to take it from him, be prepared for the waterworks. He also does not appreciate being told no. The other day he was in the TV room and I was in the kitchen and sternly told Rosie no - then I see Mack looking at me through the fireplace and he starts crying. He also does not like his food running out, especially if it's a sweet treat ;).
Speaking of sweet treats, little buddy loved his birthday cake. He had many experiences with cake prior to his birthday so when he saw it he was ready!! Which means I also couldn't get a good picture of him with the cake because he immediately began grabbing and whining for it. We had a little baby shark cake for him as that's the song that always calms him down if he's over a car ride.
We love this sweet boy so, so much and are so thankful for him!! We really feel so fortunate to have the privilege of raising all these little people and know what a sweet time this is.
Macky as everyone lovingly refers to him is one happy little dude. He's got two bottom teeth fully through and he is working on cutting his top two teeth. I feel like top teeth change the way babies look so much so I'm holding onto this little baby face of his! He has been cruising around for a couple months but is not interested in walking on his own at all yet. He has the fastest army crawl in town but over the last month or two he has been crawling on all fours when he's not in too much of a hurry. Outside on the concrete he crawls like a bear to keep his little legs from getting too skinned up.
He gets so excited when Andy comes home but then is pretty much mama's boy the rest of the time. Just over the last few weeks he's gotten a teensy bit more snuggly which is appreciated!! He is not a snuggler at all so I will take anything I can get :). He loves to give hugs and will lay his little head down on your shoulder when you ask for a hug. He also clicks his mouth to make a kissing noise whenever we kiss him.
We think he's intentionally saying Mama, Dada so far, loves to wave. Emma Kate loves to entertain him in the car and they are big buddies :). Caroline does not appreciate him in her space which happens quite frequently. Harper is always there to entertain him and keep an eye on him when I need some help.
He used to LOVE baths but then when he realized he can stand up in there he started freaking out when he'd get close to the water. Somehow we've overcome that and he will sit and play for a few minutes until it's hair washing time and then he's ready to get out of there!
Favorite toys include balls and remotes. If he has a remote and you try to take it from him, be prepared for the waterworks. He also does not appreciate being told no. The other day he was in the TV room and I was in the kitchen and sternly told Rosie no - then I see Mack looking at me through the fireplace and he starts crying. He also does not like his food running out, especially if it's a sweet treat ;).
Speaking of sweet treats, little buddy loved his birthday cake. He had many experiences with cake prior to his birthday so when he saw it he was ready!! Which means I also couldn't get a good picture of him with the cake because he immediately began grabbing and whining for it. We had a little baby shark cake for him as that's the song that always calms him down if he's over a car ride.
We love this sweet boy so, so much and are so thankful for him!! We really feel so fortunate to have the privilege of raising all these little people and know what a sweet time this is.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
7 months
Macky Mack!! Big Mack!! Our sweet little baby boy! How has the first half of the year passed us by already?! I thought finishing residency would leave me with lots more time on my hands... and while it has left me with time on my hands to spend with the kids and be more active with them/school, etc. it seems to leave me with much less time to blog, online shop and all those important things ;)
Maybe I've said this with all my kids but Mack seriously is the sweetest little baby. He is a chill little dude and I am seriously so thankful for it. At night I typically will recap for Andy all the shenanigans the kids have put on during the day and it seems like when I get to Mack all I have to say is that he was so freaking sweet :).
Mack loves being held but is also very content to be on his play mat, in his bouncer, rolling around the floor, etc. He definitely loves attention and rewards anyway who talks to him with a big gummy smile. Fortunately for him there is no shortage of attention between all the other kids and the dog. He still has big blue eyes and is getting a little longer patch of hair in the front :) His bottom gums have been super swollen for the last couple weeks but still no teeth have poked through yet!
He is super strong and gets a death grip on anything he can; sisters' hair, Rosie's fur, necklaces, etc. He will roll everywhere and it keeps me on my toes because I've got to keep the chokeables away! He isn't trying to crawl yet but will just rock and roll to get to anything he wants. He loves his paci and has mastered the picking it up and getting it back into his mouth... which is really a milestone that matters in my book.
He loves to laugh and things that amuse him the most include Emma Kate's silly faces in the car, being kissed and tickled. He is just getting over his first little cold but handled it fine. We've moved him out of his dockatot which he loved but now he just sleeps with a little dog lovie nestled up by his face or else rolls over to his belly. When we went for his 6 month check up he weighed about 18 lbs and I forget his length; but he was about 55th for weight and 80th for length so he's thinning out a little bit. He definitely fills out 9 month clothes well! I'm still nursing him but we've started a few solids and he's doing great - first food was avocado and has also had oatmeal, applesauce, peas and bananas.
He had his first trip back to the beach in October. While the weather was beautiful we unfortunately had to deal with Red Tide. It really didn't seem to irritate him much though, surprisingly. He's been to almost all of the UK games and I'm hopeful he will get to experience another UK season with this many wins at some point in his life :)
Pretty much he's just the coolest little dude. His sisters (and parents) are obsessed and we are so thankful for him!
Maybe I've said this with all my kids but Mack seriously is the sweetest little baby. He is a chill little dude and I am seriously so thankful for it. At night I typically will recap for Andy all the shenanigans the kids have put on during the day and it seems like when I get to Mack all I have to say is that he was so freaking sweet :).
Mack loves being held but is also very content to be on his play mat, in his bouncer, rolling around the floor, etc. He definitely loves attention and rewards anyway who talks to him with a big gummy smile. Fortunately for him there is no shortage of attention between all the other kids and the dog. He still has big blue eyes and is getting a little longer patch of hair in the front :) His bottom gums have been super swollen for the last couple weeks but still no teeth have poked through yet!
He is super strong and gets a death grip on anything he can; sisters' hair, Rosie's fur, necklaces, etc. He will roll everywhere and it keeps me on my toes because I've got to keep the chokeables away! He isn't trying to crawl yet but will just rock and roll to get to anything he wants. He loves his paci and has mastered the picking it up and getting it back into his mouth... which is really a milestone that matters in my book.
He loves to laugh and things that amuse him the most include Emma Kate's silly faces in the car, being kissed and tickled. He is just getting over his first little cold but handled it fine. We've moved him out of his dockatot which he loved but now he just sleeps with a little dog lovie nestled up by his face or else rolls over to his belly. When we went for his 6 month check up he weighed about 18 lbs and I forget his length; but he was about 55th for weight and 80th for length so he's thinning out a little bit. He definitely fills out 9 month clothes well! I'm still nursing him but we've started a few solids and he's doing great - first food was avocado and has also had oatmeal, applesauce, peas and bananas.
He had his first trip back to the beach in October. While the weather was beautiful we unfortunately had to deal with Red Tide. It really didn't seem to irritate him much though, surprisingly. He's been to almost all of the UK games and I'm hopeful he will get to experience another UK season with this many wins at some point in his life :)
Pretty much he's just the coolest little dude. His sisters (and parents) are obsessed and we are so thankful for him!
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
2 months
Big Mack is 2 (and 1/2) months old!! I was procrastinating writing this until we went in for his 2 month well child check and since we completed that task last week, it's time to write!
In his second month he went from sweet snuggly newborn to sweet snuggly baby that is aware the world exists :) I love, love that first month where they seriously sleep and snuggle all the time but is there anything sweeter than those first smiles they give during their second month? He was about 7 weeks old for his first smiles and they are just precious. I think he is the smiliest first thing in the morning if he wakes up on his own. He loves being talked and sung to and doesn't even mind his sisters right up in his face screaming 'lalalala' at him.
He still sleeps a ton and I guess that's just what growing boys do??! He's kind of on a 2-3 hour cycle where he will eat, be up for another 45 min and then sleep for 1-2 hours; repeat however many times in a day! He is sleeping pretty great at night, relative to my other kids, and has even given me a couple nights of no wake ups! He goes down about 730 and usually eats once, anywhere between 3-5, and then sleeps again until about 8.
I knew he was big but his doctor appt confirmed that he's ginormous - weighing in at 14 lbs 11 oz which I think was around 90th percentile? I think he was around 24 inches long which put him about 60th for height. He's pretty much rocking all the 3 month clothes and has grown out of many of those outfits that run on the smaller size. I need to do some shopping for him and I am totally looking forward to it. I've found one of the perks of a boy... no bows/headbands to keep up with/coordinate with outfits!
He loves his swaddle, dock a tot and noise machine and typically goes to sleep with a Paci and then loses it at some point. He likes being held upright and facing the world around him to see what all is going on! He loves stroller rides and being outside. The car sometimes is good and sometimes not so much. Oddly enough he usually falls asleep in the car if it's a nap time, but if we put him in the car around 7-8 he gets very upset and just wants to be wrapped up snug in his bed!! The one thing I think he hates the most is being hot; he just gets so fussy and of course even hotter. We've been at the pool a lot and I usually just get in with him because neither of us can handle all the sweat!
He has kept the prettiest blue eyes and everyone says he looks just like Emma Kate :). We LOVE baby Macky as everyone likes to call him and are so thankful for this sweet boy.
In his second month he went from sweet snuggly newborn to sweet snuggly baby that is aware the world exists :) I love, love that first month where they seriously sleep and snuggle all the time but is there anything sweeter than those first smiles they give during their second month? He was about 7 weeks old for his first smiles and they are just precious. I think he is the smiliest first thing in the morning if he wakes up on his own. He loves being talked and sung to and doesn't even mind his sisters right up in his face screaming 'lalalala' at him.
He still sleeps a ton and I guess that's just what growing boys do??! He's kind of on a 2-3 hour cycle where he will eat, be up for another 45 min and then sleep for 1-2 hours; repeat however many times in a day! He is sleeping pretty great at night, relative to my other kids, and has even given me a couple nights of no wake ups! He goes down about 730 and usually eats once, anywhere between 3-5, and then sleeps again until about 8.
I knew he was big but his doctor appt confirmed that he's ginormous - weighing in at 14 lbs 11 oz which I think was around 90th percentile? I think he was around 24 inches long which put him about 60th for height. He's pretty much rocking all the 3 month clothes and has grown out of many of those outfits that run on the smaller size. I need to do some shopping for him and I am totally looking forward to it. I've found one of the perks of a boy... no bows/headbands to keep up with/coordinate with outfits!
He loves his swaddle, dock a tot and noise machine and typically goes to sleep with a Paci and then loses it at some point. He likes being held upright and facing the world around him to see what all is going on! He loves stroller rides and being outside. The car sometimes is good and sometimes not so much. Oddly enough he usually falls asleep in the car if it's a nap time, but if we put him in the car around 7-8 he gets very upset and just wants to be wrapped up snug in his bed!! The one thing I think he hates the most is being hot; he just gets so fussy and of course even hotter. We've been at the pool a lot and I usually just get in with him because neither of us can handle all the sweat!
He has kept the prettiest blue eyes and everyone says he looks just like Emma Kate :). We LOVE baby Macky as everyone likes to call him and are so thankful for this sweet boy.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
1 Month - Mack
Mack is 1 month old! We go back and forth between feeling like he just arrived vs he's been with us forever!
Our first week was an adjustment, mainly for Caroline. It's hard losing the spot of baby of the fam and she let us know. I was so thankful to have Andy home to help us out and keep everyone in their normal routines and day by day things got much easier.
Mack has been a pretty good baby - eating great, sleeping... like a newborn... ;), just generally hanging out and sleeping all the time! I took any opportunity I could find to snuggle with him and we have taken plenty of naps in this first month!
Somehow I always forget how noisy little newborns are and all the little squeaks and sounds they make. Just the sweetest little things ever.
Harper was initially pretty reserved with him - we think she didn't him to cry or anything but she warmed right up and is so sweet with him. Emma Kate wants to hold him allll the time and they take turns at bedtime snuggling with him while we read our books. Caroline did eventually fall in love too and loves to call him baby mackey and widdle buddy :)
He still has beautiful blue eyes and pretty blonde hair. He was up to 9lbs 13 oz at his 2 week checkup and is very close to completely graduating out of the newborn clothes. We moved him up to size 1 diapers about 2 weeks too.
We love you so much baby Mackey and are so thankful for the little guy!
Our first week was an adjustment, mainly for Caroline. It's hard losing the spot of baby of the fam and she let us know. I was so thankful to have Andy home to help us out and keep everyone in their normal routines and day by day things got much easier.
Mack has been a pretty good baby - eating great, sleeping... like a newborn... ;), just generally hanging out and sleeping all the time! I took any opportunity I could find to snuggle with him and we have taken plenty of naps in this first month!
Somehow I always forget how noisy little newborns are and all the little squeaks and sounds they make. Just the sweetest little things ever.
Harper was initially pretty reserved with him - we think she didn't him to cry or anything but she warmed right up and is so sweet with him. Emma Kate wants to hold him allll the time and they take turns at bedtime snuggling with him while we read our books. Caroline did eventually fall in love too and loves to call him baby mackey and widdle buddy :)
He still has beautiful blue eyes and pretty blonde hair. He was up to 9lbs 13 oz at his 2 week checkup and is very close to completely graduating out of the newborn clothes. We moved him up to size 1 diapers about 2 weeks too.
We love you so much baby Mackey and are so thankful for the little guy!
Mack Joseph's Arrival
Baby Mack is 1 month old! He is the sweetest little thing and is adored by all of us! J
Before we get too far away I wanted to write his birth story so we can always remember that exciting time J
I had been admitted overnight at 37 weeks due to having regular contractions 3 minutes apart. The contractions persisted the whole time I was there but they went ahead and discharged me as it didn’t seem like my exam was changing. After that false alarm we figured he would come very soon after – I took it easy for a few days, got through Easter and somehow through a busy spring break with the girls. On the last day of spring break I figured he could come so did not hold back – walked 8 miles that day, visited the mall, park and farm… yet somehow he was still hanging in there!
We went ahead and scheduled an induction for 39 weeks, April 13th. We felt like it made sense logistically given my history of fast labors and the need to make sure all the other girls had their care arranged. I had some mixed emotions because a big part of me just wanted him to come on his own when he was ready, but we went ahead with that plan.
I worked as planned that week, even moonlighting for a few hours that Wednesday evening. Thursday morning I wrapped up my work and went to meet Harper for lunch at her school. I hadn’t gotten around to that all year and wanted to be able to before Mack was here.
As I was walking to my car I felt a little pop and immediately called Andy to let him know that I thought my water had broken. Fortunately, he had just picked up both the other girls from school so I wasn’t actually in charge of any kids when it happened! I trudged through the hospital during lunchtime, literally with my shoes squeaking and made it to triage. After what seemed like forever they finally got me into a room and I got settled.
My contractions did not start immediately or at least were not very painful for probably the first hour after my water broke; they leisurely let a student poke around my arm for an IV for way too long but finally got that and a resident came to visit me. I had made it clear that I would really like an epidural and felt reassured when she checked me and I was only 7.5cm.
I feel like that exam must have moved everything right along because the pain became much worse and I was so happy to see the anesthesia resident. I asked him how long it would take him to get the epidural in and he said 5 minutes ;) By the time he came back with the attending I was 10 cm and in serious pain. My only requirement was that I had to sit still enough for them to put a needle in my spine and I almost had to tell them I just couldn’t do it. But then I thought… of course I can sit still for a brief moment with the alternative being pushing out that baby unmedicated J
Long story short, my OB was AMAZING and suggested that they just do a spinal block; less than 60 seconds after they were done I was like… is this pain really decreasing or is it in my head?? The anesthesiologist loved that and got a good psychiatrist joke out of that J The pain was diminished significantly but I could still move entirely, no catheter in my back and it just made everything so much more relaxing/less stressful. And as the resident had promised, they walked into the room at 1:17 and the block was complete by 1:22 ;)
We started to push soon after and about 3-4 rounds later, our sweet, sweet boy was born. I was so emotional! I think because I knew it would be the last time I got to deliver a baby and I was just so thankful for another healthy pregnancy, delivery and baby. We have been so incredibly lucky.
Some of my favorite moments in my life are the quiet moments soon after a baby is born when the mass of people leave the room and we’re just left to snuggle with and meet this sweet new person. We immediately thought he looked an awful lot like Emma Kate – lots of blonde hair, blue eyes. But assured Harper and Caroline he definitely had their nose and mouths ;). His official birth time was 1:34 PM, weighed 8 lbs 12 oz and was 20.5 inches long.
We love this little guy so much and are so thankful to have in our family!!
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