little lambie.

i grew up with a really talented mom in the sewing/generally crafty department. i mean REALLY talented.

so talented that i probably had a false sense that everybody's mom sewed their clothes & costumes from scratch & "just" brought their kids' ideas to life even though i had no idea how much work & expertise it would take to do so.

even though i have nowhere near her skill or repertoire of knowing how to do just about everything, i think i can understand how she felt now that i have my own daughter. so when my sweet girl found this little stuffed lamb at a yard sale for something like 25 cents, started carrying it around everywhere calling it "lambie," & asked me to make it a skirt, well... i had to oblige. (lambie is thanks to her current love of doc mcstuffins.)

all it took was a $3 roll of pink tulle that's been sitting in my craft stuff forever, a little scrap of elastic & some pink ribbon tied in a bow.

little lambie went to bed a yard sale toy & woke up a sweet pink character loved by a little girl, and mommy gets to be the hero. sounds pretty good to me!

Bouncy Seat

Look who is outgrowing his bouncy seat! Gunnar is one little growing dude, on the move and not a fan of laying back in anything- he doesn't want to miss it!

Growing Boy!

I had to laugh just now when I saw these two photos side by side on Matt's facebook page!

Gunnar around three weeks:

Gunnar around three months:

Not to mention these two lovelies:

They're such a visual confirmation of how quickly he's growing and what a big boy he is already. We're not surprised, mostly because he's such a constant eater, but we're so thankful that he's so healthy and loving his sweet little fatness! I gave him a bath the other night and realized that not only has he grown out of all his newborn clothes (pretty obvious since he was almost an 11 pound newborn) but even his 3-6 month stuff is getting small... so I put my not-yet 3 month old boy to bed in 6 month jammies. 

Truly, the hand-me-downs must be shrinking in the laundry. Why else would this outfit that fit Finn at six months fit Gunnar now at 3 months?

My babies are growing up way too fast. It's getting ridiculous.

Signs of a Small Town

Sort of along the lines of Wordless Wednesday, I thought it would be fun to post some of the cute and funny signs you inevitably see living in a small town. This was on a barber shop door during its regular business hours:

We also saw one at a funnel cake truck at an outdoor flea market with "lemmaide" for sale. We're having a good time enjoying our new town and all the fun adventures that come with it!

Sweet Siblings

I love seeing Kenna and Finn love on Gunnar so much! They absolutely love having a new baby brother and we're so happy how they have taken to him with almost no jealousy. Even though the demands of three can be overwhelming, I try to always stay thankful they are each so healthy!

Summer's Coming!

The weather is getting nicer so we've been making our favorite little yogurt pops. The kids love them and they're the perfect little portion size to eat (almost) before they melt. Summer is coming so fast!

wordless wednesday: new sleep method

Cranky Boy.

Cranky Boy. Crabby pickle. Hey you. You earn a lot of nicknames when you are the crankiest baby of your siblings as newborns (that, or we just forgot how much babies cry).

We even took Gunnar to the pediatrician to make sure his crying wasn't something more serious- but really, it's just normal newborn behavior. You cry when you're sleepy. You cry when you're not held. You cry when there's anything whatsoever in your diaper. You cry when you're hungry (every 2 hours). So I guess it just feels like you cry all day.

But to be fair, when he's not crying he's the absolute sweetest thing, bright eyed and alert! Watching his siblings, watching the world, loving to be outside. Snoring so softly.

Sweet milky sleep after nursing so long and a tiny hand holding mine. We love him so.

Snuggled up to Mommy and finally happy- I think this will be a baby-wearing summer! Thank God for the peanut shell!

Baby Look-alikes.

As I uploaded photos today I had to laugh to see more of my deja vu photos that I love so much! I'm sure that with three kids fairly close in age we're bound to have several photos in which they look just alike, and I think it's fun to document them together.

Here's a fun game of big brother/little brother:

And a little episode of name... that... baby:

(Kenna, Finn, Gunnar)

It's amazing how all three can look so much alike and yet so different, each their own little selves! I love it. Here's another just for fun:

(Gunnar/Finn/Kenna)

Keeping it Real with Three Kiddos.

Today I am the classic no-make up mom with spit up on her shirt. Gunnar is 3 weeks old, and we are in between the extremes of such deliciously sweet snuggles and mind-numbing screaming. We've worked out a nighttime system that feels somewhat functional, but Matt and I both rise not feeling rested, and the kids wake with full-on energy. I'm thankful that these same days when the big two were each tiny have taught me that this stage is mercifully short- a few weeks really, in hindsight.

Kenna is emotionally trying- everything eventually causes a break down, every conversation requires tons of patience and explanation, but she's also my diaper-bringer and water cup-refiller and absolutely loves to hold baby brother. Finn is physically trying- so busy and rough-playing and fast-running, but his snuggles are few and far between making them extra sweet. Gunnar is hormonally/all-my-energy trying- I have tons of blog writing I want to catch up on and photos I want to take to remember the details of these foggy, sleep-deprived days, but it always feels better to curl up with him and nap instead when I can. Right now I have to remember I that someday again I will be able to do something besides nurse all day.

At the end of the day we're weary. It's different having Matt working from home- he's such a huge help, but then I feel guilty for needing such a huge help. We're all  thankful though because if not for him, I have a feeling we'd be having popcorn and nutragrain bars for dinners most nights. Most days I want to pack us all up and go do something fun, but navigating naptime crankies and keeping everybody happy in the car and everything fun being 30 or more minutes away makes it hard. So we stay home and I let them watch one more Curious George, and when we're comfy in our jammies after dinner and all snuggled on the same couch, nobody really cares that the laundry didn't get folded.

A book I love right now is Fit To Burst by Rachel Jankovic.
Matt picked it up for me after I mentioned it in passing, and I read it in 2 days flat, soaking it in quickly like water on a hot dry rock. I felt so understood reading her metaphor of Mommy's energy and patience being like a milkshake, and each child has a straw and wants to take a long uninterrupted drink. It's delicious to be the thing they want and need so singly, but also exhausting. Each of their needs is my choice to put the the gospel in action. An early wake up call because one disobeyed and woke up the other. A tantrum so surprising and embarrassing you don't know which part to address first. Cleaning blue marker off the window blinds and throw up off the shower curtain. Don't grow weary in doing good. I love Jesus too and I believe God, Kenna tells us. The harvest of righteousness is coming.

My babies are healthy and precious. This time is short and they DO grow up fast. Any complaint I could have about the fullness of their constant care is tempered by the thought that Kenna will go to school next year, and she'll come home to me begging to hear her talk non-stop like she does now about everything she did while away from me for 7 hours. The thought that soon Gunnar will be as big as Finn is now, but I'll actually be able to chase and catch him because I won't have a snuggly newborn in my arms. The thought that soon Finn's incredible eyelashes will draw the attention of every girl for miles. The thought that someday Matt and I can take a date night every night if we want instead of sitting on the couch cracking each other up playing words with friends, but it will be because these three tiny, precious lives no longer sleep in their little beds in our home.

Stay little, little ones. Everything else can wait.

Easter Kiddos 2013

As a pastor family now, it's nearly impossible to get a photo of us on a Sunday. I made a specific attempt at dressing the kids back up the next day and taking an Easter photo this year.

This was the best one.

I just have to laugh- these things are yet another exercise for me as a mom in letting go of the 'perfect image' (literally!) and embracing reality just as it is. . We're immensely thankful for a risen Savior, whatever the photo may say!

(Kenna 4, Finn 2, and Gunnar 1 month).

My Grown Up Girl.

Oh my Kenna bear.
I can't believe how fast you are growing up.

Sassy. Inquisitive. Bright. You never forget anything! You remember every word we say and take it very seriously anytime you feel like we are not keeping our word to you. You still wear your heart on your sleeve and can go from happy to complete breakdown so very quickly. So independent that I relish the times you still need my help or just want my snuggles.

The SWEETEST thing when you want to be.

You are so musical- always singing and making up little songs and you taught your brother to hum which is about the cutest thing ever. You alternate between singing songs you have heard in your T.V. shows and movies with little ones you make up as you go along- it is February and you're still singing Christmas carols. You love painting and often paint crosses- "Jesus dieds" which makes Mommy and Daddy so happy!

Dress up is your favorite game- complete with elaborate stories of what you are dressed as and what adventures you are going on. You are an accessories girl and love to wear a necklace or two to church (like Mommy). Your church shoes are your favorite and you much prefer dresses to shirts and jeans which you say give you "itchy spots."

Your favorite toys are My Little Ponies and your Barbie dolls which you call "dollies." They host elaborate picnics together and all their accessories must be arranged just so. You like to switch them all around from bag to basket to bucket to tote them all around the house- and to keep Finn from touching them.

You "turned into" 4 years old just after we moved to Eagle Springs, and your Daddy and I have been shocked at how much you grew. Four just seems so much bigger and smarter than three- you still love to paint, love to have books read to you and your special Buttercup stories with Daddy at bedtime. You just started sleeping in your bunk bed that we painted for you, and you just seem so big. You can brush your own teeth and buckle your own car seat and you're such a big helper. I can give you a task and you love to help!

You are brave and independent, but still love Mommy's snuggles and Daddy's attention. You have lots of stories to tell and questions to ask. You love on Finn and always want to help take care of him- washing him in the bath, singing bedtime songs to him, and kissing him goodnight. You do like to remind him that he's littler than you though- that he's not allowed on your bunk bed and that he can only color with the washable markers. You definitely want to be the little mommy of the house.

You're even learning to write your name and other short words (you wrote "Hi" on all your Valentines this year) and I can't believe it's almost time for you to start school! We love you so much, Kenna bear!