Gavin is 5!

Doesn't FIVE sound so big? Geesh!  This boy has been ready to be five for a long, long time.  So the day finally arrived.  He woke up to a cool bike from mom and dad.  He was pretty pumped.  When we tested it out that morning he was a little hesitant because starting and stopping was tricky with it being taller, but after a quick lesson and refresher from dad, off he went and he hasn't looked back since.

Grandma Woolf sent a box of Skylanders and Grandma Robinson left a birthday package before they went on their mission.  In it were a few things, but the small guitar was a hit.

Unfortunately, Gavin's birthday morning was spoiled when I discovered gallons of water in his bedroom carpet that had been leaking from the fridge for a few days.  We did gymnastics class and then I dropped the three boys off at Shauna's so that Brian and I could get the flood cleaned up.  Timing was tight to make cakes and get ready for his party and clean up this mess, which was frustrating.  But we set the disaster aside long enough for me to frost a Death Star cake and have a water party with a bunch of little boys.  Although we felt bad that his day was tainted, he didn't seem to notice or mind too much.

He has good little friends in the neighborhood.  Attendees were: Luke from preschool, Rome Clegg, Chaseton Pearson, Ben Kinder, McKay, Ander Lovell, and Aidan Albrethsen.  They played water guns, noodles, and jumped on the tramp with sprinklers.  Add some cake and ice cream, and walah - a birthday bash fit for a big five-year-old.

Gavin,

You are such a good boy.  I am proud of you and what a good big brother you are.  You are kind and aware and have a good feel for what is right and wrong.  You beat yourself up when you make a bad choice - it's cute and sad all at the same time.  You don't have to be perfect.  Hopefully we don't put too much pressure on you.  But that may just come with the territory with being the oldest and all.

You help me so much around the house.  I can give you directions or ask you for a favor and you are willing to help.  You make your bed everyday, clear your plate, and ask how you can help.  You love watching Barney and Daniel Tiger, which is a switch from the justice league boys and Power Rangers. (I had to nix the Power Rangers because you and McKay were getting a little too violent for me...)  You are a pro at navigating the ipad and games on our phones.  You teach me how to work the thing!  Crazy.  It makes me wonder what the world will be like when you are a teenager.

You are going to start Kindergarten and are getting so big.  I will be sad to let you go, but know that you are ready.  I keep telling you to not grow up, but you tell me that you can't help it.  And you will love it.  I know that you are going to do great.

At night you have started hugging us super tight to show us "this is how much I love you."  You love bedtime stories and playing with your friends.  You want so badly to be one of the big kids and whenever we are with older cousins or friends, you jump right in and want to be with them.  "But I'm a big kid!!"  Don't want to be associated with the littles anymore...

I look at you all the time and think of how grown up you are getting.  That's just how it goes...  Even though sometimes I don't feel ready for you to get big and leave me.  There are worse things in life than being loved too much.

Smooch,
Mom

Two Month Jonah

Looking back on these pictures...wow. Babies grow so so fast!  Jonah's binky days didn't last too long. I tried and tried, but he just didn't like it.  Just like his brother McKay!  This month Jonah woke up and we heard him a little more.  Just protests to know that he needed attention.  But once he got what he needed, he was fine.  He is pleasant and gave us his first real smiles.  I left him for the first time with his Aunt Shauna and went to Summit graduation.  He was a champ.  He loves to be held, snuggled, and bouncing in his frog chair or swinging in his swing.  He is consistent at eating every three hours.  Obviously!  He is sleeping longer stretches in the night, but I usually feed him around 1:00 and 4:00 am.  What a sweetheart!

Preschool Graduation

Gavin was so excited for his last day of preschool. Not because he didn't love it, but because he was excited for us to see his graduation celebration.

I thought that I would get all teary and have to hide myself during the program, but I laughed the entire time.  Honestly.  It was so cute.  And so so funny.  From the bowl hats to the silly kids.  They sang several songs and told us what they learned each month of school.  Gavin wimped out on saying his part, but I wasn't totally surprised.  He did also fall off his chair and that stalled things for just a moment.  But he got up and laughed, so that's always good.

Miss Sonya was a sweet and loving teacher to Gavin.  He loved her and was always happy to see her at church on Sunday.  Next up - the Kindergarten big league!!

Hanging out with Three Boys

Estrogen Extravaganza

Anytime is a good time for a girl's weekend.  Before Jonah was born and we were in the planning stages, I wondered how I would feel about taking a six-week-old baby on a road trip.  Turns out I felt great and was ready for the break.  I loved holding my baby close with nothing else to worry about.  And I loved spending time with these girls.  We always have a good time.  Lots of laughing.  Leg wrestling, favorite things give-away, synchronized swimming, and two thumbs down for Poncho and Lefty's.

Keri Haynie, Risa Jense, Kate Larsen, Debbie Winn, Lindy Milne

Mother's Day

Growing up I always had my future family in mind.  While I didn't know exactly who would be there - didn't have faces pictured - I hoped that I would meet someone who would want to be with me forever. I remember hearing an idea in a Young Women's lesson to pray every day for my future husband.  That idea stuck with me and I started then praying every single night.  I prayed that I would find him and that we would both work hard to prepare ourselves to be ready for each other when the day finally came.  I hit the jackpot when I found Brian and fooled him into asking me out back in October 2002.  It's all been downhill from there.  Or is it uphill?  Either way, life has gotten better and better.  Not easier and easier, but I have my sweet little family I dreamed of and I am so grateful for him.  Lucky for me, I got him AND these three little people that call me mommy.

Being a mom is without a doubt the hardest thing I've ever done.  The best thing.  The most rewarding thing.  The most selfless thing.  I'm livin' my dream!  But, boy, it is hard!

Each stage of life will bring different things - new highs and lows.  But for now, my days with three boys ages 5, 3, and newborn are consumed with: wiping bums and noses, getting bandaids, making meals, helping bathe, helping dress, making sure no one has escaped into the street, reminding kids to not run too fast in flip flops, telling stories, building forts, refereeing arguments, finding teaching moments, being silly, teaching mommy school, giving hugs and smooches before bed, enduring potty training, nursing, taking evening drives to make it to bedtime, changing diapers, putting the couch together once it's been torn apart and used as a trampoline, pulling down legos, stepping on legos, putting away legos, doing dishes, folding mountains of laundry, corralling kids at the grocery store, walking to the park, etc. etc. etc.

Despite moments of frustration and feelings of inadequacy, I wouldn't change it and am so grateful to call these little dudes mine.  I love them more than I could ever imagine and am grateful that we have the kids we do.  It's the unsolicited hugs, kisses, thank yous, and how can I help? that make it all worth it.  It's Gavin saying, "I'm sorry I did that mom" or "I love you mom" or "Close your eyes and come check this out.  Surprise!  I put all of the shoes away for you!"  It's the love and protection he shows for his little brothers.  It's the stick figure family he draws with everyone's hair just right and me holding the baby sideways.  It's McKay's sweet voice and how much I love hearing how he can't pronounce his R's.  It's his silly and stubborn personality that makes me throw my hands in the air and laugh (sometimes).  It's his silly body wobbling every direction with his tongue sticking out.  It's those blue, blue eyes and that blondie blonde hair.  My little angel buddy when it's just me and him.  It's my sweet baby Jonah - oh how I love that baby!  His mooshy skin, his rolls all over his body, his head and red hair, his eyes that look at me as he's nursing, his tongue that sticks out when he's trying to smile.  The way he holds still when I hold him or how I know what will make him happy.  I hope that they will continue to be forgiving as I learn daily how to be a mom.  In the end, if I don't live another day I want these three to know how much love I have for them and how proud I am of the people they are becoming.  Just thinking about it and writing it down brings happy tears to my eyes.

Oh, how I love being their mother.

One Month with Jonah

How is it possible that one month has passed?  It really has been a great month.  With the exception of a few days when my tiredness caused me to lose it and everything seemed a bigger deal that it really was, I have really enjoyed my days here holding my little baby and watching the older boys play together.

The time at the hospital with Brian and Jonah was wonderful.  I missed my little (big!) boys, who couldn't come to see us until it was time to check out.  Gavin had been having tummy troubles and we didn't want to have him around the baby.  Their faces were priceless when they walked into the room. They were so excited to see their new brother.  The transition to three kids has been good.  Much easier than when we had two.  McKay shook things up around here and I had to figure out how to have a 22 month old and a new baby.  I also had just quit working so I wasn't quite sure what being a stay at home mom looked like.  Jonah has been easier because I think he's just fitting into the routine that we've already got established.  It helps that he's an easy baby (at least for now!) and is just here hanging out with us.  Every family has their own opinion about how many kids is easy or hard.  All kids are a lot of work - but I am grateful that this time around has been much smoother!

Jonah is such a good baby!  Really.  I feel like he's been pretty predictable pretty early.  Our first two nights at home were spent holding him while we slept - he didn't even cry - just wanted to be held.  By Day 5 he was doing three hour stretches of sleep in his crib at night.  What a champ!  I can only think of one night that I was up every two hours.  The rest all 3, 4, and 5 hours of sleep at a time.  So why am I still so tired??  At about 3 1/2 weeks he had a growth spurt or something where he was whiny and hungry 24/7 for two or three days.  Other than those couple of days, he has been an absolute perfect angel baby.

But I keep thinking...Isn't it amazing how quickly you can be so infatuated with someone?  I am seriously in love with this little boy.  I don't know much, but I do feel like I have some perspective this third time around.  I know this newborn phase won't last forever.  I know soon I will be able to sleep for longer than three hours at a time.  Already I can't remember how skinny his little legs were and what they looked like exactly.  I feel like I've got to soak it all in and I have been totally ok with spending my days here at home and hours and hours in a chair nursing him.  I cannot get enough of his wrinkled forehead, his super soft skin, his fuzzy back, his perfect fluffy strawberry blonde hair,

I've loved watching the boys interact with him.  Gavin has been the perfect big brother from the start.  He will hold him for quite a while.  He'll wipe spitup and ask me repeatedly, "Take a picture, mom!"  McKay loves his little brother, too.  The first day or two Jonah was home McKay seemed pretty bent out of shape and a lot angry.  He needed some extra attention.  But now his face is in Jonah's face and he has his own baby talk.  He loves to "pet" his brother and give him kisses on his head.  He has been sucking his hair, too.  Gross.

Grandma Woolf came to stay with us for five days when Jonah was three weeks old.  Then Grandpa flew in for two nights and a day and hung out as well.  The big boys ate it up.  G & G were party animals and took them all over the place.  Dinosaur Museum, Barnes & Noble, Provo Bakery, the park,  Cabela's, McDonald's, Target, In 'n Out...  They were starved for the attention and loved hearing grandma's stories and watching Power Rangers on her ipad.  I was able to rest and clean and the house was picked up for the whole week!  Thanks to my mom for running around after me putting dishes away and folding stray piles of laundry.  It was fun for all of us and I was so glad to have them here to help me, hold Jonah, and love on Gavin and McKay.

Jonah is already getting so chubby and big and I am sad to see his smallness slipping away.  But I am so excited to see who he becomes and find out more about his personality.  His name means gentle and dove (or something like that...) so we're hoping he lives up to it.  We could use a calm one around these parts!