catching up

Naomi is almost 4 months and I am feeling like we are finally getting past the newborn phase of life that is very unscheduled and exhausting. Her feedings are starting to become more patterned and her naps are also getting more predictable which helps me to plan out better time with the rest of the girls. Naomi has rolled over from belly to back about 3 or 4 times. She is usually happy and smiley these days. She found her feet last week and loves to grab them and try to eat them. She does seem to like mommy to be near by all the time though. Her sisters all love her very much and most of the day I hear myself telling them to give her a little space. She has an inhale laugh that is precious to hear. She is drooling quite a bit. This is the first time I have had a baby slobber on me so much, I wonder when she will get teeth?

Audrey is full of energy and keeps me on my toes. This is her dirty face from when we went 'camping' the other night. We go out to the woods after afternoon naps take dinner and play in the woods then have a campfire and roast marshmellows and then put PJ's on the girls and drive home and sleep in our own beds. The girls love it and so do we. We are laying the groundwork for many more real camping trips in the future. The girls have been having a blast walking around at night with their headlamps on, very amazed by the thought that they are wearing the light that lets them see where they are going but they don't seem to understand that the can't shine it into each others eyes or they get blinded. I cut Audreys hair about 2 weeks ago. I was finished with the constant tangles and that she does not keep hairties in and her hair always looked a little crazy. It is so much easier and very cute. It seems to suit her personality. We call Audrey our living musical because she sings all the time. It is very cute but also very loud. What a bundle of joy and also a ball of fire when she wants to be.

Sabrina is loving school so far she is into her 3rd week and seems like and old pro. She said her favorite part is recess which makes her a typical kid. I helped in her classroom last week and it was fun to see her in action. The group of kids in her class seem are very sweet and seem to get a long well. There are 16 kids in her class. We have really enjoyed seeing her excited about school. It was fun to listen in on a conversation between Sabrina and Sage last week where they were talking about what they were learning in school. Sage and Audrey have been doing school with me when we come home from dropping Sabrina off and they are so cute about "doing school just like Sabrina". The new schedule is starting to settle in and I think we all like it. Sage has grown up a lot lately too. She is less shy in groups and has started to really play well with other friends of ours and not so much of just following around Sabrina and doing what she does. It is fun to see her maturing but I am amaze how quicky it all changes. In a couple months she will be 4 years old.

I am trying to get organized and keep this household running smoothly but with joy and fun as we do it together. I have been working on a schedule for the day to day life to help me know where I am going during the day so I don't get so overwhelmed. It is going well and I am looking forward to seeing how it will all come together. I am so thankful for the blessing it is to have friends and family around me that help me with all of this. Putting the little things down in a organized fashion helps a task orient person like me make time to play one on one with my kiddos and let chores get done at appropriate times or get put off if need be. I wish I could write more and remember every detail but there is just not enough time in a day. I remind myself often how blessed we are to be able to chronicle our chidrens lives these days in so many ways with photos and blogs and movies. I would forget it all if not for this digital generation we live in. I can understand now how my grandmas say they can't remember so much of there children's milestones because they were so busy and didn't have all the documentation of it as we do these days.

The verse I meditate on quite a bit these days Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days aright , that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Bad dreams

A very sweet memory I do not want to forget. Last night Sabrina came down to my room right after being put to bed crying that she was afraid of the Goblin and couldn't sleep. I asked her about the Goblin and she said it was from a fairy book she had read earlier that day. So I told her that it is was just pretend and there was no need to worry, to pray and think about happy things and sing her song "When I am afraid I will trust in you"(Psalm 56:3&4). So she went back to bed and seemed fine. Then at about 4 am Brian and I woke up hearing movement upstairs in the girls room and turn on the monitor for their room. We heard Sabrina quietly singing "when I am afraid I will trust in you, I will trust in you" a few times then it was quiet. After a few minutes of quiet we heard movement again upstairs so Brian went up and prayed with her and calmed her down. Then everyone went back to sleep. What a sweet memory of our little girl singing to herself. Sabrina is so sensitive to anything scary we really have be aware of that.

Sleep for me these days is hard the baby likes me to sleep on my left side or else she moves around like crazy and when I try to sleep on my left side my hip is really achy. It is hard to get comfortable and then I have to get up a pee a few times a night or if I try to ignore it my belly starts to contract. I am looking forward to baby's arrival to hopefully sleep better. Sounds funny but true. I am now 22 days from my due date and all the others have been 7-9 days early which means it could be only13-15 day until this baby comes. Everyone around here is ready to meet this new baby except Papa he wants baby to wait a couple weeks for his trip to Chicago and time to settle back in after his trip. I hope we can make that happen for him even though I'd be ready to have baby here tomorrow.

Around here we are ready for warmer weather. This snow is getting old and we want to play outside. It has been windy or snowy all week. We have kept busy with school and library visits but still days get long when you can't play outside.

We visited Sabrina's school for next Fall. Mount Calvary Lutheran school. They had a kindergarten roundup day where next years students could come be part of the Kindergarten class. Sabrina loved it and jumped right in. She didn't want me to leave but was not clingy. The teacher is great, Mrs. Williams. They started with playtime until all the student arrived and Sabrina of course made new friend right away and played with her friend Anna who is in Kindergarten this year. Then they had a bible story time that she helped put up felt pictures for. The new students had a lesson time with a small book they were given to keep and they read it together and colored it, while the existing Kindergartners had reading time on their own. The class only has about 10 student and they are well managed. Then they had math time with bears and plastic squares. Sabrina loved to be a part of it all. After that they read a couple stories and Sabrina sat on the teachers lap for the stories. I think she is going to love school. I am excited for her. After we were done there. Sabrina and I went to have a snack at Macy's. She had a lemon cookie and hot cocoa and I had cider and a danish and we visited. She is so precious. She talked about how she needs a backpack and all her school supplies. So when we got home we looked up a backpack online that is like Sean's and she picked out a color, Lilac and we will have her initials put on it. Shannon plans to order Kendrick a backpack too right now because they are on sale and she has another coupon to use at this time. So they will all have the same backpack. She thanked me for a special time with Mama. I was a very special morning. I can't believe how quickly this time has gone by. Everyone tells you it will but it is really different to experience it. I am so blessed to get to spend so much time with my girls and to be so intimately involved in their lives. I pray that this will be able to continue even when she starts school. One day, one week, one month, one year at a time I guess is all I an focus on.

Smiles

I was reminded of this article I found in Above Rubies magazine a while ago. I thought I would share it with you and put in on here to remind me of what it says when I forget. I needed this reminder today as I was very tired and did not feel like smiling.
Written by Nancy Campell

"There are two things that seem to be fading from society -whistling men and smiling mothers. Is it the stress of our busy lives that rob us of these two ingredients that fill homes with happiness?
When I grew up in a little town in New Zealand, it was normal to hear men whistling as they happily worked around their homes. It is rare to hear men whistling today.
Mothers' smiles are also disappearing. I see so many sad, depressed and hang-dog faces on mothers and this is in an age of smaller families! Do we need to slow down and find tie to smile again? To take time to smile at our children?
A smile is a necessary part of a mother's countenance. The Bible tells us that the more we behold the Lord, the more we will grow into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). In the same way, your children look at you all day long and every day. What do they see? Do they see a frowning face? A grumbling face? A downcast look? Or even a furious look?
Guess what your children will be like? Exactly what they see on your face! They will grow into your likeness. Do you want happy children? Then let them see a happy smiling face. Change your frown into a smile. Start smiling at your children. Smile a them all day long. Every time you look at one of you children, smile at them!
What if you don't feel like it? Forget your feeling. You can't trust them. They come and go like the wind. Put on a smile even when you don't feel like smiling. You will change, and yes your children will change. You will notice a difference in their behavior.
What about your husband? When did you last smile at him? Or is he used to glaring looks? Or a complaining countenance? Are you daily adding to his stress? Did you know that men can't stand grumbling, depressed women? They run from them. If you want to keep your husband, smile at him. They are better than a doctor's visit. He will bask in you happy and contented countenance.
William Arthur Ward wrote, "Blessed is the woman who has a smile in her voice, a sparkle in her eyes, a song on her lips, a spring in her step, and warmth in her touch, a depth to her beauty, a purpose in her life, a joy in her faith, a hope in her breast and a love in her heart.""

It is amazing to see how just smiling changes how your children respond to you even when giving correction. It is so easy to slip into the grumps and then spread it around your home. This article always encourages me to take that very small step in changing my day by just smiling. I hope this will encourage you as well.

Look at that butterfly, almost to the end and whole new beginning!

I love and hate the pregnancy ticker. It looks so close to the end but still so far away. This week actually passed by quickly with our company from Oklahoma at the beginning of the week. Grandpa & Grandma Piper were here with Aunt Bryn over her Spring break. We had a wonderful time together. One road trip through Sedona, Jerome and then to Prescott. We visited the Heritage Zoo in Prescott. Audrey loved the snake exhibit and just giggled at the snakes in their glass homes. There was quite the entertaining bear there also. The girls got a kick out of him playing with his ball. It was just the right size zoo for them at this age. The playground at the zoo I think was there favorite part. And of course Audrey was up and down the slides as we all held our breath praying she wouldn't fall each time she climbed the ladders. She has a mind of her own these days and thinks she is much bigger than she is. We had a lovely dinner out in Prescott and returned home with very tired girls. The rest of their visit was filled with crafts and playing outside with the weather so nice. Bryn took Sabrina on a lunch date Monday and then Sage on Tuesday which they both loved. Grandma Piper and Sabrina spent about 3 hours at the bookstore on Tuesday, which Sabrina adored. She never grows tired of having books read to her. Brian and I even had a date night while they were here. Monday night Brian and I went out to eat at Josephine's, our favorite restaurant and had a wonderful dinner. Then we went up to Lowell Observatory and were able to see Saturn through the big telescope and Orian's nebulous through a smaller telescope. What a nice evening out.

Then on Wednesday company left early in the morning. I was blessed to have a friend invite us for a play date, which allowed us to have a transition day between company where the girls have constant attention to only mom with lots of chores to do. So we ignored chores and went and played. It was a beautiful day and the kids played outside all morning.

We changed our school day to Thursday since we had company on Tuesday. So Thursday we had a house full of kids as well for our preschool day. It is my turn to teach. I taught about friends and the story of Ruth and Naomi. The girls were a little confused at all the family relationships I tried to explain about Ruth and Naomi but the friendship concept they were receptive to. Then we have been learning about types of transportation. So I taught about boats and airplanes today. The girls drew a picture of a boat and then made a paper airplane. I need help remembering how to make paper airplanes so that they will fly better. It was another full day with little amount of chores done. Thankfully the Ketter's fed us this evening and I was able to negelect that chore as well. I really am so spoiled.

Friday we had a nice simple day at home. The girls played most of the day outside getting covered with chalk. So they took a bubble bath in the middle of the day. Then in the evening our spring fever took us to the tree park for a pizza picnic dinner. It was a little on the chilly side but fun to be back at the tree park. Sabrina zipped around on her bike and Sage actually did a lap around the park on the bi-ped bike and enjoyed it. Audrey just ran around and loved being outside. She tried to climb the tree Sabrina was climbing and she was determined she did not want help. It was a very pleasant evening to end a very full week.

Finally the weekend!!! We have had a lovely weekend. Brian and I were able to have my in-laws watch the girls Saturday morning while we did some much needed spring cleaning. Boy did we kick butt and clean, well more like Brian did most of the grunt work and I waddled around putting things away and cleaning what I could without bending. Then in the afternoon we had a fun time with the girls out and about and stopped in for chocolates at The Mountain Candy store. A yummy reward for a job well done. I slept well last night, my back a little achy but not too bad for all the work we did around here. It is so depressing though that the nice clean floors already have rice from dinner under the table and the laundry baskets have a pile of clothes to be done on Monday and then put away. It never ends. I am so thankful Brian was so willing to help me catch up around here and we had a great time. Saturday chores can really be rewarding.

Then today was just a simply good day. Nothing amazing but just quality time spent as a family. The girls and I went to breakfast just us since Brian was on set up for church. It was fun to have a date with just mom. I am sure I got a lot of looks with 3 little ones and my big belly but the girls were great, they helped me to shine. I am so blessed. I love these precious girls. The weather changed today and was really winding which the girls did not like at first because they have gotten used to playing outside. But once we settled into crafts and other inside play activities we had a wonderful day. The girls have just had there first bubble bath this week and love it so we have actually had 3 this week. So tonight while helping with dinner Sage said she was really dirty from helping with the potatoes and she needed another bubble bath. So again tonight we had a bubble bath. Then we trimmed up Sabrina's hair and Audrey had her first hair cut. It really changes the way she looks even the little trim I gave her. The fine baby hair was getting so tangled in the back it really needed just about an inch off. She looks too cute with her little bobb cut.
Now a new week starts and I am not quite ready. I want another day of weekend to have Brian around to help entertain and guide the girls. I am so blessed to have him around as much as I do I know! I am just really done with this big belly of mine. I want to run after my girls instead of waddling and to bend in half to pick up whatever is needed at the moment. I know that when the belly is gone that means there is a whole new set of duties I will begin with the new baby but I am ready!!!! Less than 50 days now until my due date. I hope they fly by. But may God help me enjoy each day as they pass by. I need His help to make the most of these days because I just watch the clock way too often. I am babbling now and that is no good I might write something I will regret. So I am off to prep for the week and get to sleep.

Little bits of life update

Well, the time keeps creeping by whether you like or not. Some days it can not go by fast enough for me, I am done with my big belly and I have 2 more months to go, and then other days I want time to slow down so I can cherish my other girls and all the joy they bring.

Audrey has officially given up her pacifier 1.5 wks now and it went surprisingly well. We had all the girls gather in the living room in the evening and had Audrey put all of the pacifiers we had into a bag and say good-bye as her older sisters cheered her on saying what a big girl she was. Then she went to bed without it and really did not fuss much. She has asked for it here and there but no fits over it being gone. What a blessing that has been. She is such a talker so with out the pacifier around I don't know if her vocabulary has increased or we just get to hear a lot more of it. She loves to sing and if you give her a stage of any sort she will gladly perform for you. Her favorites are "Baby Beluga", "Happy Birthday", "Jesus loves me", "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes". She picks up songs so quickly. A very precious memory she gave us this week was Wednesday morning she started to say ballet and so we put some music on for her to dance to but it was Jack Johnson and she quickly told us "No Ballet" and so we had to find some classical music to dance ballet to. Once the music was right she began to dance on her tippy toes and copy our arm movements for ballet and tilt her head from side to side. It was too cute.

Sage is still into her bags and all the little things she can find to put in them. On a recent trip to Scottsdale to visit her Old Nana and Tata she picked out a bag from her Aunt Gloria's gift wrapping bag stash. She wanted the pink one which just so happened to be the Victoria Secret bag. So now we have a very special bag full of trinkets from Old Nana to keep track of and carry everywhere. Key Phrases from Sage of late are: "You are my Hero Daddy" (after he untangle one small hair from her bib that was caught), "You are my best Mama, Papa, Audrey" (whoever might be her love of the moment), one from a while ago that I don't want to forget was when I was putting her in the car and she place both hands on my cheeks and said "precious". Lately we have had just not stop talking from Sage whether she thinks you are listening or not and so it is hard not to tune her out when she says a thousand times excuse me when she really does have something she wants to say to you. I need to work on her interrupting conversations and waiting patiently. I am amazed how much she has to say.

Sabrina is growing into quite the little helper. She recently has learned how to rinse dishes even sharp knife carefully. She is eager to help set and clear the table for dinner and then want to know if there is anything else. We need to harness this energy for as long as it will last. Cleaning up toys and mess after crafts is another story, she calls it boring and too hard but we are working on her attitude with that as well. She is really a wonderful help around here and it makes me excited to have her help with the newest baby. She loves to feel the new baby in my belly and states quite often how she can't wait for her to come. She is really progressing with school these days and is beginning learn many of her letter sounds well and draw them in her bowl of salt. She also is getting better with knowing the numbers past 5 which she has struggled with for a while. She has a natural love of learning new things which makes teaching her fairly easy. It is finding the time to focus in on her.

Brian's has now taken the girls out to breakfast on his own twice and they have done well. He can take them to the Country Host restaurant and get this large special meal for $3.99 and feed everyone. He gets a cup of coffee and breakfast is about $6. What fun. He loves his girls. What a special role he plays in their lives these days. He is the fun energetic one these days making up for my lack of energy and ability to get down on the ground and play.

I am in full on nesting mode. This week my parents blessed me by cleaning up and bringing over to my house a dresser from my grandma's cabin that used to be my sisters. Then they helped me move the clothes around so that Audrey's clothes are now upstairs in the girls room. Then my sister came over to help put the new babies clothes away in the dresser in our room. It feels great. I know I have 10 wks left before the baby should come but I need to feel ready. I only get bigger and more uncomfortable so the more I can get done the more settle and at peace I feel. Spring cleaning and nesting go well together but my back and belly don't agree most of the time.

I am ready for spring!!! I think the taste of good weather this week has really made that apparent. I has been so nice to go on walks with the girls this weekend and be in the backyard. A few bulbs we planted are peaking through the ground. I know there will winter storms to come but for now I am savoring this taste of spring.

Cute memory

One of the reasons that I keep this blog is to jot down cute memories of the girls so I won't forget them and they will be someplace I can find them easily. Here is one of those memories. Sabrina was very upset this evening, sobbing that her Papa would be home too late to read to her and put her to bed tonight. Sage crawled into bed with Sabrina to console her and give kisses. Then they both were told to go to sleep in there own beds and that they would see Papa in the morning. About 15 min later Sage comes running out of the room to tell me that she sang Sabrina a song and that Sabrina stopped crying, Sabrina had fallen asleep. Sage was so proud of herself. So I thanked her for singing to Sabrina and now it was time for her to go to sleep. The love of sisters, so sweet!

Home

I am so thankful that my home is definitely where my family is. I love my girls and what joy they are to me. Brian and I were blessed to spend a weekend away in Phoenix while grandparents babysat our girls. What a nice relaxing time we had. Slow dinners, quiet walks through the parks and just time to sit and enjoy the beautiful weather, but most of all sleeping in. It is amazing how good it feels to come home and be greeted by three big hugs and kisses from three little girls. Sage's words of love "you are my best mama" and Audrey's tight grip around me making sure I won't put her down and Sabrina's excitement as ran to her Papa as we entered the house. Memories I will treasure. I hope those moments will keep me full of joy and energy for the week ahead. Parenting is a joy but a lot of work and energy that I wish I had more of these days.

I had hoped to write more on this blog about what is happening in my life and thoughts running around my head but my computer broke a week ago and time is limited on the computer these days. Maybe we will get it sorted out here soon and I will get back on track.

Until then I am tired and must get some rest to help with that joy and energy I need for the week.