Proud Brother, Beau

It is no secret that Beau loves being a big brother. He is incredibly patient and good to Baine, and is always helping take care of him. Now that he has a baby sister, he never wants to leave her side. When it's time to go to bed, he begs to have her sleep with him. Or if we are laying on the couch watch TV, he always wants to lay by Piper and hold her hand. If I am in the other room doing something and Piper starts crying, Beau is the first to go soothe her, put her paci in and turn on her music. He is definitely protective of her already and it is so precious.

Beau I do not give you enough credit already as my grown up 5 year old son. You are always going to be my special one since you are our first born. You help me be a better mom everyday and teach me what true patience is. You are such a good boy. Your passion for learning and school makes me so proud of you. You are so eager for soccer to start next week and your love for sports is quickly taking off. Now that March Madness is going on, you LOVE to watch the games and always pick your favorite team (usually based on the colors). You act too mature for your age most of the time and I'm not sure I like how fast you are growing up! You have Kindergarten Round Up next week and I haven't decided if I will let you go or not ;). I am so proud of you Beau and what a good little boy you are--most of the time. 

Brook's Birthday Celebrations

We celebrated Brook's birthday last weekend and it was such a great weekend! To kick things off, mom, Brook, Piper and I went to the spa for the day to get pampered and do a little shopping. It was so relaxing and Piper was perfect for her first trip to the spa :) We had everyone over to grill at our house that night and the kids were crazy, fun as always. Then Saturday it was the adults turn to go out to eat and celebrate the birthday girl. This was literally my first time being away from Piper---I hadn't even gone to the store without her yet! We didn't venture far to eat, but it was a great dinner and fun night with Brook and Austin. I hope you had an amazing birthday, Brookie. You deserved it! 

Piper 1 Month Video

Piper: 1 Month

Last Monday, Piper was one month old. How is that possible?! Wasn't I just pregnant with her yesterday (or so it seems!). She is growing and changing daily and I am so incredibly in love with her :)

At 1 month:
-starting to smile
-weighs 10.6 pounds
-size 1 diapers
-size 3 month clothes
-her hair is falling out and turning blonde (just like Beau's did)
-eyes are still changing and not sure what color they will be yet
-LOVES to be swaddled in her white swaddle bag
-nursing like a champ! Really doesn't want anything to do with a bottle
-prefers to sleep on her side and be snuggled
-the past two weeks has been sleeping 6-9 hours off and on (however I think I jinxed it because the past two nights she was up every 4 hours)

Feeling Grateful

Having three kids has been so incredibly amazing so far. I have always wanted a big family, and I have been feeling overwhelmed with love and gratitude for my family! Since I am finally starting to feel better and recovering from having Piper, I have needed quite a bit of help. Dena has been a godsend (as have my parents and Brook). Dena has been coming over on weekends and even a couple week nights to just help me out and watch the kids so I can do simple things like take a bath, eat, or just lay down and relax. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THAT!!!!

Getting adjusted to 3 kids is not as chaotic as people told me it would be (at least not yet). I know that once Piper is older, our schedules will be crazy. However, I wouldn't have it any other way. I am so excited to watch Beau, Baine and Piper grow up and let the craziness begin! :)

Joe's 31st Birthday

Since we JUST had a baby, we didn't do anything extravagant for Joe's birthday this year. We stayed at home and our "roommates" celebrated with Joe the whole weekend. On Joe's actual birthday, we went to eat at our favorite sushi restaurant, Wasabi Tao. It was nice night with Shawn and Caleb, and even Piper was great at dinner :) 

The next night, Brook and Austin had us over for dinner. Brook had cooked an amazing meal for Joe's special day, and it was DELICIOUS! Happy birthday, Joe! 

Piper at 3 Weeks Old

So far, Piper has been the easiest baby ever! She is such a good sleeper (last night she slept 9 hours!), she only fusses when she is wet or hungry, and she is just so easy going...for now :)  Things at home are going really well. The boys seem to be adjusting just fine to having a new baby, and nothing has really changed a lot. Things are going well all around, almost too well. I keep saying "when will reality set in? Probably when I go back to work!!"

Piper eats every 2-3 hours and is nursing like a champ! She has latched on right from the minute she was born. She never has needed me to help her latch on or use a nipple guard. She wants absolutely nothing to do with a bottle (which will make me going back to work interesting) and she LOVES to be snuggled in her "snow white" blanket. Her hair is starting to turn light, and her eyes are still changing colors. So who knows what her coloring will end up like :)

At Piper's one week appointment, she has surpassed her birth weight and was at 9 lbs 1 oz! She is a good eater! She was never able to fit in Newborn clothing, and right now is in 3 month clothing...some 0-3 month. She mainly needs 3 month due to her length. She was our biggest and longest baby, and she is holding to that so far! She has been healthy and content so far and I truly hope things keep going this well! :)