evie's month has arrived!

posted by mommy and daddy

after the birth of eloise in april and owen's birthday in july, everett's month has finally arrived. he turns three this month and he's got all kinds of ideas for mommy and daddy. stay tuned for all the fun details and of course, lots of cool pics. everett is definitely the ham of the family. he always seems to make us all laugh with his funny actions and hilarious comments. although he can be a bit rough for many, he is also a cuddler. one minute he's banging into you and yelling, the next minute he's hugging you and telling you he loves you. he's one amazing kiddo.

from minnows to sea turtles

posted by owen

i picked up swim lessons again this year and i'm having a blast. i graduated from minnows and now i'm moving up to the sea turtles group.

eloise: 3-month update

posted by mommy

1. nursing - eloise continues to enjoy nursing throughout the day. she generally goes 3 hours between, but due to her nap chosen nap pattern, sometimes mommy adds one or two sessions in-between. 
2. growth - enter the chunky phase! like her brothers before her, eloise has chunked up quite a bit. she now has no ankles or wrists, and many rolls on both arms and legs. we love it!
3. development - she has begun trying to laugh recently as well as letting her voice be heard! she is still relatively quiet most of the time, so the few times she does cry we take it very seriously.
4. sleeping - she continues to be a fabulous sleeper. her first nap is immediately after waking around 7am, and lasts til 10-10:30am. her second nap is around an hour and a half later for an hour or so during which i often wear her in the wrap. after waking and nursing, she hangs with big bro, owen, on mommy's bed while i have reading and cuddle time with ev before his afternoon nap. eloise's third nap is around 2:30pm and generally lasts around 3 hours!! after dinner, a family walk or playtime, baths, and naked baby time, daddy gets her ready for bed and i bundle her in a sleep sack and swaddle her arms (she was constantly kicking out of the leg sack in the miracle blanket so we had to improvise!). we settle in the rocker for her last nursing and she quickly falls asleep and is in her crib around 8 (as long as i didn't fall asleep, too!). most nights she doesn't wake until between 2 and 3 (although the last couple nights it hasn't been until 4:30-5!). i then go get her, bring her into our room, change and nurse, and she goes back down with us until 7ish. we can't believe what a great sleeper she is all on her own.
5. overall demeanor - she continues to be very relaxed and laid back, rarely making much noise unless she is very hungry or really tired. she also is good at letting you know when she's had enough of being on her own and just wants to be held. 
6. favorite things - she enjoys laying on her playmat watching the birds go round on the mobile and has recently begun playing with the hanging toys. she also continues to like sucking but really prefers her hand/fingers instead of the pacifier (only wants that if she is super tired). like her brothers before her, eloise very much likes being worn in the sleepy wrap and generally falls asleep within minutes of settling in.

happy 3 month birthday eloise!

posted by eloise

the life of lil sis

posted by eloise

while my brothers are enjoying birthdays and playing outside, i spend most of my time sleeping and snuggled next to mommy in a wrap. i like to think of it as reserving my energy for when it's my time to join in on the fun. i love that my brothers are always asking to see me and kiss me. it makes a girl feel appreciated. i have been more vocal as of late, but i give mommy and daddy plenty of warning before i completely break out in a crying fit.

owen's 5-year birthday

posted by owen

today i turned 5 so we celebrated it by having a day-of-owen. i got to choose my birthday breakfast (pancakes) and birthday dinner (homemade mac n cheese with hot dogs cut up in it), had presents throughout the day, went to jungle quest and even got to stay up late for some yummy birthday cake. it was a terrific day full of lots of fun and surprises.

mommy and daddy did their regular streamer morning suprise

thanks for all the gifts!

my paw patrol birthday suprise

today is my birthday!

we have the best neighbors ever! beth made me a special
paw patrol shirt. she's made a shirt for me every year. she's
so talented.

i got some awesome gifts!

my birthday pancakes

after breakfast, it was off to jungle quest

walking the rope bridge

getting ready for my first go on the zip line

even evie got to go, with the help of daddy

jumping off of the cliff for the big swing

evie got to do a lot of things, which he loved

daddy helping evie unhook after one of many zip line rides

on my fifth attempt , i finally made it to the top and hit the bell. 
five must have been my lucky number for the day.

another bridge

i was able to hook and unhook myself on all the activities

my special birthday cake. thanks whole foods!

nothing like late night sugar before bedtime

i love my brother...and sister who's sleeping

i love my daddy

and i love my personal birthday planner, my mommy

rainy 4th of july

posted by owen and everett

what do you do when it rains on the 4th of july? you go with it and just have fun. as mommy says, it's only water. we had a blast dancing in the rain and getting all dressed up as if it's winter. i guess around here when it snows on mothers day and rains on the 4th of july, you have to make sure you have the proper apparel to enjoy it.