Thursday, April 18, 2013

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!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

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:
(KennaFinn, 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)

Saturday, April 6, 2013

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.