Christmas 2011 (in pictures)

Our Christmas was everything that I imagined. The boys loved every minute of it, everyone was happy, and we spent lots of time with family. Here are our some of out pictures from Christmas 2011.

Friday Phone Dump

1&2 - Small group book exchange

3&4 - Helping cook breakfast for Supper

1 - Yummy "panmakes"
2 - Playgroup at McD's
3 - Watching the Elf on a Shelf movie with my boys
4 - Christmas baby

1 - New Chuck Taylors
2 - Happy 6 months, Levi!
3 - My brother :)
4 - Cute owl baby

1 - Family
2&3 - Christmas necktie shirts
4 - Six month checkup

1 - Ready to run errands
2 - Mom, Ryan, and I
3 - PF Changs!
4 - On a date with Mama and Daddy

Levi {Six Months}

Levi, you are 6 months old! What have you been up to?!

We go for your 6 month check-up this week, so I will know your weight and height soon. I am guessing around 16 lbs. You are starting to wear 6-9 month clothes and you just moved up to a size 3 diaper.

You only nurse maybe once a day now. Just before bed or before nap. You drink formula the rest of the time. Parent's Choice Gentle formula, 6 oz every 3-4 hours.

Sleep is getting much better! You have been sleeping through the night pretty consistenty lately...from about 9-6:30 or 7.

Your congestion if FINALLY getting better!! Yay! You still get a little stuffy occasionally. But it is much better than it was!

You are rolling everywhere, and you are sitting up now!! So proud of you!!! I think you are going to be much more content to play in the floor now that you are sitting.

You are still not very interested in eating baby food. I am giving it a try every few days, hoping you'll get used to it. I have been told not to worry about it though, that some babies are 8-9 months old before they want to eat food. We will see!!

As you can tell from these pictures, you LOOOVE to chew on your hands. They are in your mouth pretty much all the time. Maybe you'll be getting a tooth soon!

You have started jabbering instead of just cooing...it's so cute to hear! You say Mamamama, Dadadadada, Bababababa...I know they don't really mean anything at this point, but I love to hear you talk!

You still like your swing, exersaucer, and jumparoo. You are pretty content to play if Mommy needs to do something around the house. If not, I stick you in the Moby wrap, and off we go!

You love to be tickled, and you have the sweetest little laugh ever. Brody loves to make you laugh!

You take two good naps a day if we are home, and you can get pretty grouchy in the evenings if you haven't gotten your naps in!

You are super smiley, and when someone talks to you, you grin really big and bury your head in my shoulder like you are teased. So adorable!

Happy 6 months, Levi!!!

~What Christmas means to me my love~

The pictures below are from Brody's very last preschool Christmas program. He did great, and we are so proud of him!

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There has been something about this Christmas, this holiday season, that has just been so magical. More so than I can remember it being since I was a little girl. Of course, when you are a kid, it's always magical. For me, as a child, Christmas was always just mesmerizing. Everything about it...from the decorating, to the baking, to the family gatherings, to the church Christmas programs, to the cold weather. When I think back to Christmas as I child, I still get that giddy feeling inside. I can still remember those feelings exactly as I felt twenty years ago, when I would crawl into bed on Christmas Eve at my grandmothers house, with my brother and my parents and cousins and aunts and uncles all piled in sleeping bags and beds along side me, with that crazy excited anticipation of what the next morning would hold. I can remember the glow of the Christmas tree lights shining under the door. And the warmth from the wood heaters and electric blankets. I can remember my aunt (who was a teenager at the time) waking me up in the middle of the night telling me she just heard the jingle bells on Santa's sleigh outside. I can close my eyes and go right back to that time...just like I am still there. Of course, I always knew the true meaning of Christmas. That we were celebrating the birth of Jesus. My family always put that first and foremost. But that celebration led to some of the most memorable moments for me as a child.

And something about this Christmas has just seemed extra wonderful, too. I'm pretty sure it's because I am home now. I'm not trying to juggle working with home and mom and wife. I'm just home. With my babies every day. I can sit down with them in the evenings and play by the light of the Christmas tree, without worrying about getting daycare bags packed and lunches fixed and clothes laid out. I'm not stressing about how we are going to get everything done, because there is time.
I am cherishing this time with my kids while they are still so little more than ever before. I'm not wishing for them to hurry and get bigger. I am snuggling them in their Christmas pajamas and driving them around to look at lights. We are making Christmas countdown chains. We are reading Christmas books. I am teaching them that Christmas isn't just about Santa and candy canes and presents, but that it's about that very first Christmas when God sent us the very best Gift, His Son Jesus!

Instead of just "surviving" Christmas, I am truly sitting back and enjoying every second of it. I am seeing it through the eyes of my children. The exitement on their faces as they find "Frisbee", our Elf, every morning. The glow in their eyes as they play around our Christmas tree. The sincerity in their voices as they sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. The smile on their faces as Brody announces each morning how many more days until Christmas. And it takes me back. Back to all of those amazing Christmases I had as a child.

And I realize that my children are making those same memories. They don't understand it right now, that they will someday be able to close their eyes and go back to this time. When they were still so little. And they'll remember the wonder of it all.

And I think it is ok for the wonder to be there. For some, there is the controversy over whether the "fluff" that we add to this time of year takes away from the true meaning of Christmas. And sure, I agree that if you only have the "fluff", the whole meaning of Christmas is lost. But if you make sure your children know that the reason we are celebrating is because we are celebrating the birth of our Savior, make sure they understand that the reason we give and receive gifts is because of that ultimate gift that we recieved when Jesus was sent to save us, help them understand that Jesus isn't still that babe in a manger...then it's ok to have that wonder of Christmas that we see in the eyes of our children. Because Jesus IS wonderful!!

We have a busy, busy week ahead of us, but I am so grateful that this year I can sit back and relax and take it all in. I am so thankful this Christmas that I am able to stay home with my children and be present in their every day.

I am so thankful for all of those magical, wonderful Christmas memories I have as a little girl. What joy it brings me to be able to look back and be inspired to create that for my children.

But most of all, I am thankful that I have a Savior who was born on that very first Christmas all those years ago! A savior who loves me and forgives me. I am thankful for all of my blessings this Christmas and that I am taking the time to savor every one of them.

Phone Dump

Brody "ornamented" our car. Festive.
Watching the senior citizen Christmas dancers at the mall. Also festive.
Date night with Brody.
Lunch at Larry's.
Morning snuggle time.
Beckett - Dancin' in the rain.

Mama's boy.
Levi's first cracker.
Visit with Santa. (Beckett was hunting with Poppy.)
Rides at the mall.

Mom to 3

I get asked a lot what it's like to have three little ones so close in age. How do I handle taking them all places by myself? What is our daily routine like? And, I know one day, when they don't need me for every little thing, I will enjoy looking back at our day to day when my littles were still so little. So, this is what a day is like for this stay-at-home mom of three little munchkins.

Anywhere from 5-7am: Wake up with either Beckett or Levi, whoever decides to wake up first that morning (Usually Beckett). Snuggle in the bed or on the couch. Beckett gets a sippy of milk, and Levi gets a bottle. Watch cartoons until it's time to wake Brody.

7am: Put Levi in his swing (where he usually stays until Brent and Brody leave for work/school), and go wake Brody. I get him dressed for school on the couch, and he and Beckett watch Curious George while I fix Brody's lunch and get him something to eat for breakfast (muffins, cereal, waffle, yogurt, etc). After he finishes eating, we go to the bathroom, fix his hair, and brush his teeth.

7:30: Brent and Brody leave. . . Brent drops him off at preschool on his way to work.

7:30-8:30 - Get my coffee going, Beckett and I cook breakfast (almost always pancakes), and we eat together. Levi likes to play in his jumparoo in the kitchen while we do this. I try to get the dishwasher unloaded and clean up our breakfast dishes during this time, too. Then, I get Beckett and Levi dressed for the day.

8:30-9:30- Beckett plays in the playroom or living room and Levi usually gets time in the exersauer while I get a load of laundry going (sometimes) and do a quick run through of picking up the house . . . putting the dirty clothes that are scattered around in the laundry room, putting toys where they belong, throwing away any trash that might be laying around, etc. Then I try to just play with Beckett and Levi in the floor for a little bit.

9:30 - Give Levi a bottle and he goes down for his morning nap. At this time I usually check email, facebook, blogs, etc., change the laundry over, work on t shirts if I have any orders...just whatever might need to be done while I only have one child up to take care of. And Beckett always plays sooo good during this time. He colors or plays with cars or plays with his tool bench in their bedroom...anything really...I am just always impressed with how well he plays independantly during this time of the day. And I do have a confession. At 10:00 I always turn on the Today Show and watch Kathie Lee and Hoda. I don't sit down for the whole hour and watch it, but most of the time it is on, and I try to watch it while I'm folding the laundry, feeding Beckett a snack, or just picking up (I feel like I pick up toys ALL DAY LONG).

11:00 - Start getting lunch ready for everyone. Most days Brent picks Brody up from preschool at 12, and they come home for lunch, then Brent goes back to work at 1:00. Brody stays home...he only goes to school half days. Levi wakes up from his nap between 11 and 11:30, and he usually stays perched on my hip or in the Moby wrap while I get lunch ready. He also gets a bottle around noon.

1:00 - 1:30 - After everyone has had lunch and Brent has gone back to work, I get Beckett down for his nap. He is never ready for a nap, but he always goes down easily (in his crib with a little sippy of milk) and stays asleep for two to three hours. Love that he is a good napper! I try to encourage Brody to have "quiet time" during this time since he doesn't nap anymore. I usually turn a movie on Netflix for him, give him a little juice, and get him comfy on the couch. I do this for two reasons. One, the rest really does him good after his fun but busy morning at school. And two, I need him quiet since Beckett is napping. Levi usually nurses, then takes his afternoon nap during this time, also. He will go down around 2 or so, and usually sleep for an hour or hour and a half. Once they are sleeping, I clean up the kitchen from lunch and do another quick pick-up around the house. You'll also notice that I haven't mentioned getting myself ready yet. Sad, but true. Now is the time I usually do that. Unless we had appointments or errands or plans for the morning. Or if Brent can't come home for lunch, and I have to go get Brody. Then, I will get ready when Levi goes down for his morning nap. If it's a stay-home-kind-of day, it usually doesn't happen until afternoon naps. If any real cleaning is going to get done that day, this is when that happens, also. But I won't lie, there are days that I sit down for 30 minutes or so and watch a little of Brody's movie with him. Everybody needs a breather every now and then. After Brody rests for a while (sometimes it's 20 minutes, sometimes he will actually sit and watch a whole movie), he get up and plays. Sometimes in the playroom, sometimes outside in the front yard if I am where I can go out with him. Another thing I like to do while the younger boys are napping, is have some simple "lesson" time with Brody. He is loving math right now...simple addition and subtraction. Also, geography...he loves to look at maps and us talk about the different places he sees. Or we will work on his letter sounds or sight words.

4:00 - By this time, the little boys are usually up from their naps and Brody has been up playing for a while. I try to spend a while here just spending time playing with them. We read books, have a bible story, color/water paint, or play outside if the weather is nice. Whatever they want to do. Levi is good about playing in his Bumbo or exersaucer if I am doing something with Brody and Beckett, but he also loves to be in my lap right in the middle of the fun. Who can blame him!

5:00 - This is usually when our day gets the toughest. The older two are usually fighing over toys...they tend to get whiney in the evening, and Levi has a fussy/clingy period about now, too. The house is a wreck again, Levi is hungry, the boys want a little snack, and I am trying to figure out what to cook for supper and how it's going to get cooked. Ha! Sometimes we end up meeting Brent for pizza just to get out of the house, or I'll have him bring something home, but usually we manage to get something cooked at home.

6 - 6:30 - I am always SO glad to see Brent when he walks through the front door. Although he has been working all day, he is so good to help out when he gets home. We try to eat dinner together at the table. Lately, I have been eating with Levi in my lap with a bottle propped up in his mouth. But hey, we make it work!

7:30ish - The boys have play time while Brent and I clean up the kitchen. If it's bath night, Brent cleans it alone while I bathe the boys. Getting three little heads and bodies scrubbed and dried and lotioned and pajama'd is no quick task. It takes a good thirty to forty five minutes even when I don't let them linger and play until they are pruny. (Although, of course, pruny fingers and toes are just necessary sometimes.)

8-8:30 (sometimes 9!) - Brent and I take turns putting them to bed. One of us takes Brody and Beckett to their room, reads a couple books, has prayer time, and tucks them in bed. Brody is usually asleep within minutes of us leaving, Beckett will sometimes talk for a bit, but is usually asleep with 15-20 minutes. Whoever isn't putting them to bed gives Levi his bedtime bottle. Sometimes he goes right to sleep, if not I nurse him for a bit. He is usually asleep by 9:30, 10 at the latest, and I then lay him in his crib.

I then spend a few minutes picking up the house again and finishing up the kitchen, starting the dishwasher, etc. Then bath time for me!! Whoohoo!! After that, Brent and I will sometimes relax on the couch watching TV for a little bit, check emails/facebook, etc. Then it's bed time! If we are on the early side of our schedule, and we get the boys in bed by 8 or so, I can usually be in bed by 10 or 10:30. Sometimes it's later. Levi sometimes has a middle-of-the-night feeding around 1 or 2, then it starts all over the next morning!
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This is just a basic run-down of our days at home. Many days we are out and about, running errands, taking kids to appointments, visiting friends, playing at the park. No, it isn't always easy taking all three of them out alone. Just loading them in the car seems to take an act of Congress some days, but I do it anyway. And I have found ways to grocery shop or make a WalMart run when it's necessary. Levi's carseat goes in the big part of the cart, Beckett rides in the seat of the cart, and Brody walks, holding onto the cart or helping me push. If we have a longer list and I need the big part open, I wear Levi in the Moby or a front pack carrier. Yes, we have days when they don't act their best when we are out, but I take them out anyway, that's how they are going to learn! And yes, there are days I totally lose my patience, but that's how I learn! Lol! And most outings they behave just fine. You just have to remember that babies are going to cry sometimes, toddlers are going to pout sometimes, and preschoolers are sure to test your patience. Life is all about experiences, and I don't want my children remembering their childhood as being holed up at home because Mommy had too many kids to get out and do things! Ha! I know that this is just a season in my life where simple things like eating out at a restaurant or walking around the square downtown just aren't necessarily going to be simple. But we do it anyway. Because I am resposible for the memories they make as kids, that they carry with them for the rest of their lives. And they deserve great memories.

Of course, there are diaper changes and spills to clean and mouths to wipe and meltdowns to calm mixed in with all of this. And of course there are so many mistakes I make every day. But there are also hugs and kisses and "I love you's" and precious little moments that far outnumber the hard ones. And that makes it all worth while. When I hear those sweet little voices at bedtime thanking God for Jesus and for their family...then I know exactly why I am a mom.