Halloween 2011

Best family picture of the night

Sweet Viking Baby

Sweet Viking Maiden

We kept it low-key this year with the ward Trunk-or-Treat; minus the actual trunk or treating since we left early, the Midwestern carnival and one stop at our home teacher's house to show off the kids. 

Kate says a cute "Trick or Treat!" but never when she is supposed to and they both caught on fast to the whole handing out candy concept, stuffing it in their little mouths as soon as it was received. None of this put it in the bucket nonsense!

Decor around the house consisted of one key item. Cute footprint ghosts. I like it more because it documents the "littleness" of our family right now.

I'll redeem myself next year when we don't have a newborn and my kids are more aware of the festivities, then I'll pull out all the stops and become a fun holiday mom. I've got big plans and am excited to make traditions and memories with my kids.

The university does a wonderful job putting on fun events for the families. Arts, crafts, trick-or-treating around the campus, bounce houses and lots of goodies abound. It gets rather crazy and the kids are too small to really appreciate or participate in most activities so we are looking forward to next year already.

Here they are with their cute friend "Scarlett O'Hara". 

Last year we got maybe five doorbell rings so I decided to turn off the lights and not hand out candy. Only one doorbell ringer tonight and they were ignored as I nursed my baby.

Phil is hunkering down for the end of fall quarter which brings a week of finals. Oh the stress! Afterwards he gets two weeks off and we are very much looking forward to some down time. 

We both can't believe how fast the year is going. October just bit the dust and I know that with the holidays, busyness of every day life and school that 2012 will come rolling in. On one hand I am happy that the days tick by, especially in regards to medical school but in turn that means my family life is flying by just as quickly. My children are growing too fast. I want to savor these days at home with my littles and instead I am finding myself frazzled, frustrated and tired. Not good.

We have settled into more of a loose routine and are getting out of the house for appointments, park dates, etc. Rhett still eats every 2 hours, Max and Kate still need their mom to play with them and I need more kindness and patience. I fall short everyday. 

I have been reading a chapter in the Book of Mormon each day as I nurse Rhett and I have noticed a difference in my ability to mother and am so grateful for it. I need to up my daily consumption! So many things vie for my attention and it is hard to find balance. My kids, my husband, the house, chores, myself. 

I am tired of looking postpartum, having nothing to wear with this new and still chubby body. I know it takes time and most importantly good habits and a lot of hard work. My problem is finding the time with three small children and eating too many sweets. I need an intervention! I need to take better care of myself which in turn will lead to me taking better care of my family. I know this, now I need to DO it.

Ready, set, go.

Rhett: One Month

My sweet friend Lori sent us these fun month stickers in the mail since we are both detail obsessed. I am so very glad she did! Thank you Lori! Rhett and I did a mini photo session while Max and Kate were napping to start the fun documentation of our monthly milestones. Yes, the pictures are all the same but a certain Grandma in Utah won't mind and frankly neither do I.

Mr. Rhett is one month old. Stop! Time is slipping by so fast and this little man is changing every day.

He had his check-up on Monday and here are the latest stats:

Weight: 8 pounds 10 ounces! 17th percentile

Length: 21 inches:
Not sure I believe it since they said he grew almost an inch in the 3 days between coming home from the hospital and his initial check-up...

Newborn clothes and now in a comfy size 1 diaper.

Regardless, please note the whopping THREE pounds put on since birth! Good grief. Perhaps it has something to do with eating every two hours? Hmmm, little piggy?

Gaining weight is something he excels at, clearly. He was 5 pounds 13 ounces at birth, 5 pounds 8 ounces coming home, back to birth weight at his 3 day check-up, up to 6 pounds 15 ounces one week later and finally a hefty 8 pounds 10 ounces. Again, he is growing way too fast.

"Did you get my good side mom?"


Aaaaand we're done!

His brother and sister adore him still. If anything Kate's adoration grows stronger each day. She loves to kiss him, lays her cheek on his head and will try to comfort him when he cries and she is within reach.

Rhett has his "witching hour" between 7pm and 10pm where he is wide-eyed. He is fussy unless he is held, swaddled and he likes to be bounced with his bum patted, thank you very much.

He is starting to be a bit vocal, can follow you with his eyes and he calms almost instantly when I pick him up and talk to him. Love this boy!

Rhett's Newborn Session

One week after Rhett was born we packed up the truck, kids, Grandma and made the trek across town to my friend Leah's house in south Gilbert to do Rhett's newborn photos. Another photographer friend, Jen, joined us as well nearer the end. 

I knew it was going to be a big ordeal, we were jeopardizing naps and thanks to Murphy's law, what can go wrong usually will. Thus our morning was grouchy, the kids woke up really early and were whiny, my patience was thin and we ended up leaving the house later than I had planned. Max fell asleep right away and of course Kate fell asleep right before Leah's exit on the freeway. They didn't sleep on the way home thanks to the Barney dvd I put in before we left while they waited in the truck for me to nurse Rhett.

Leah was wonderful, patient and kind to us all. My mom was super Grandma entertaining Max and Kate, pushing them through their nap time since we were still shooting Rhett and by the end we were all exhausted. But it was all worth it.

Thank you Leah and Jen for the images of my children. It is always a treat to be in photographs with my kids, instead of being the one taking them.

I wanted a few shots of the kids to mark their two years, which is hard to do when kids are two.

Kate in all her sweetness.

Isn't he so handsome? You should see this full size, his eyes sparkle and I just want to eat him.

Giving kisses... and the very next frame is... don't ask.

Welcome to Crazy

I feel I need to retract my previous post saying we were making it...

I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon. I change diapers, distribute snacks and inform my studying husband that I am leaving. I crack open the back bedroom door where Phil is holed up and leave with Rhett in tow.

One hour later I return, as I am getting Rhett out of the back seat I notice the water heater is running, which means bath time. I enter the house and peer into the bathroom to find my family. Perhaps Phil fed them dinner early? Nope.

"Your nipple cream is all gone" are the only words that greet me.

Awesome.

"Did you take Rhett with you?" were the next words. 

Yes, dear distracted, completely stressed out husband, I did thankfully. As you were clearly MIA and unaware during the hour I was away.

I enter my bedroom to survey the damage. Left to their own means Max and Kate got on my bed where the diaper changing "station" is and helped themselves to the aforementioned nipple cream and the tube of Vaseline. Grease spots on my sheets and comforter are most obvious. Two outfits ruined worn by the offenders. I follow the grease trail and find treacherous and near invisible scattered spots on the tile floor waiting to break someone's pelvis, small puddles on the end table and I am sure I will find more as the night goes on. 

Unfortunately my husband did not take photographic evidence of the naughty children.

Phil leaves me with two naked toddlers to continue studying, I diaper them and then tend to my crying baby. Nursing renders me helpless and trying to discipline from a chair. Not effective and my two toddlers know it and are up to more shenanigans.

Four loads of clean clothes waiting for my attention:

One pound of grapes snatched off the counter for the starving natives:

Two ounces of nipple cream found. Birth control* anyone?:

*After a particularly trying day Phil declared that he never wants to have sex again. Who needs birth control? Just have 3 kids in two years.

What happens when I walk away for 10 minutes to write this post, soggy cheerios on the floor not pictured:

Sweet burrito baby who has no idea what he got himself into joining this family:

Some days I feel the same way bud. Welcome to crazy town.

Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go and degrease my house and I want need a donut in a really bad way.

*Post Edit: I did not cry and as I look back through these pictures and our day I am totally laughing. I love my crazy life and the three (four with Phil!) crazies that keep me hopping. I just want to have these days recorded so I can remember the madness.

"We did it!"

Today I felt brave. Max and Kate were itching to get out of the house and I had some dishes to return to friends and a baby gift to drop off. I figured we would kill two birds and have an outing; run our errands and then meet some friends, walk to the park and let the kids play.

This sounds fine and dandy but in reality translated to a whole lotta work. Just getting the four of us out of the house after my initial decision took 45 minutes:

• nurse Rhett, change diaper, burp, etc.
• pack a diaper bag for three, snacks and sippies included 
• dress myself in proper walking attire
• load Max and Kate into the truck
• load the BOB into the truck, attach tailgate
• load Rhett into truck
• gather dishes, diaper bag, waters, baby carrier, etc.

At this point I ditched the errands and just went straight to the park so the kids could play.

You should have seen us! I wish I would have had my friend J'lene take a picture of our crazy circus get-up. Me pushing a double stroller one handed, Rhett strapped on my front with my other hand holding a blanket over him to block the sun, diaper bag and cup balanced on the stroller canopies. Yeah, good times. 

We walked roughly a mile round trip, the kids played at a new park and I got some much needed girl talk. As Max and Kate would say, "we did it!". Rhett slept the whole time, happiest when he is on my person, Max and Kate played with their friend, had snacks and some much needed outdoor time. We all were worn out and took a nice long nap. 

I know it will get easier to get out of the house solo with three kids, like in a few years...

Finding Our Way

We are doing it. Surviving and hopefully starting to lean towards thriving. Not quite though. Dinners are made, dishes are done, bodies are bathed, clothes are clean and the house is picked up though there is certainly evidence of toddlers living here. As it should be.

While I am showered I haven't made it much further. Being homebodies doesn't provide much motivation for getting dressed up and made-up. Max and Kate are always more put together than I am as of late. Today though I "splurged" and put some mascara on my burning tired eyes. At least I look awake. (make-up not pictured here)

Rhett is certainly thriving. He is gaining weight, eating and sleeping well and we are working on self-soothing so the rest of the house, most importantly his siblings, can have balance and order. He is changing so fast, too fast for my liking.

Scrumptious double chin. Check.

Filling in his baggy skinned legs. Check.

Clocking in at 7 pounds already. Sniff, sniff.

Three children and medical school are hard on a marriage. Make that twin toddlers, a newborn and second year of med school. To quote a fellow comrade, "Second year is the devil". And so it is. Multiple tests a week are the norm, Phil is having to study harder and longer to maintain his grades and just tread water when he tries his hardest and strives to be his best. Which means we are two ships passing in the night. If he is home in the mornings (as in he has not risen at 3am or 4am and left for school to study) he kindly gets Max and Kate out of bed and gets their milk. I am usually nursing Rhett. He makes a PB sandwich and bids us farewell. Tears follow since the kids hate to see him leave. I do too, but I have yet to shed any tears.

He will return home for dinner and has taken to bathing the kids. I love that man. Then it is kids off to bed and Phil off to study. We aren't even sleeping in the same room right now. Good times. Conversations are minimal and patience is hard to come by for us both with two 2 year-olds wearing us down. We try and usually we tag team each other so we both aren't ogres at the same time. I write this not to complain but to document where we are at this time in our marriage and lives. We are well and life is a bit hard but we will be just fine.

Max and Kate have gotten better at free play, ie: Mom is usually not involved. Which means a lot of this happens:

I left them obediently coloring to feed Rhett.

I go into my bedroom and usually shut the door to nurse Rhett in peace and I could hear wild giggling and knew something was up. Both children on the table (a big no-no) gleefully throwing paper goods off the table, I had to just smile and snap a picture.

I had undressed Kate for dinner and turned around to get her tray and meal. They like to get themselves into their chairs and buckle in. Kate took it one step further and ditched her diaper before getting settled.

Thank heavens for the cooler weather that has graced us recently as the kids are able to come and go as they please in the backyard. We certainly haven't gone anywhere as of late and I know they go stir crazy and get bored. This too shall pass. They both have had colds which has further isolated us from friends and play dates.

All in all we are finding our way. (As I typed that the Caillou theme song filtered into my mind, clearly we are watching too much PBS.) Now if I can just muster the courage to go out in public solo with three young children. Not quite ready for that yet. I prefer to do my shopping solo.

I go to bed every night and review my day with the kids, usually finding that I was severely lacking in kindness and patience. I then pray and pray for these vital virtues and we try again the next day. Thankfully my children are forgiving. Prayer changes everything. I can see/feel the difference when I wake up with a prayer in my heart and continually ask for help when I feel myself slipping. And a good self reminder that they are only acting their age, boy are they good at it!

Reality: 3 kids age 2 and under

Scene Yesterday: My mom packed up in my trusty black Nissan Sentra that I have owned for 10+ years pulling out of our garage with a happy wave goodbye. Me waving back from the garage/laundry room door with a nursing Rhett attached and two toddlers at my feet.

Thoughts racing through my mind: "Ah, I am going to miss that car." (We are selling it to my sister). Close the garage door, turn back inside to my children who are begging for a nap, i.e. whining incessantly. "Forget the car, man, I am going to miss my mom! Grandma's gone, I have three children to care for on my own. Heather, it's go time!"

And so it is. Go time, survival mode. 

I am not quite two weeks post partum, still healing from my c-section though I am doing really well but still doing more than I should. We have one sweet newborn who eats all the time, loves his mama and loves to be held, two 2-year-old toddlers who also love their mama, need a lot of attention and have entered the wonderful world of two. Tantrums, extreme levels of loudness, nonstop action, entitlement and sharing issues, screaming, general bipolar behavior with pockets of sunshine and happiness thrown in for good measure and to preserve their lives. At times I question whether they will still be around when my mom comes to visit again during the holidays.

My mom was here for almost 3 weeks and took such great care of all of us. She took over while I was in the hospital and Phil has been MIA since school started, trying to stay afloat with the rigorous demands and stresses of the second year of medical school. My mom took charge of Max and Kate so I could tend to Rhett and rest. They went to the park, library, played at home. She endured Barney and cleaned up after us tirelessly. She changed stinky diapers, bathed dirty little bodies and loved my kids and they love her. She spoiled them with Grandma presents, tickle fights and wrestling. She snuggled Rhett, did our laundry and dishes. She did it all!

Bottomline: We would not have survived without her. 

What our house looked like right after I put Max and Kate to bed:

It was much more overwhelming in person. Every toy was strewn about. It took me over an hour to pick up between a nursing and crying babe. 

Man I love my kids but this is going to be a bumpy ride until I find my new mommy legs.

Balance will come. I need a big bottle of patience pills and a whole lotta prayers. There will be crying involved for all parties and my perception of doing well is being redefined. We'll get there slowly but surely.