When the kids got home from school today we got to work putting ornaments on the tree. We cranked up the Christmas tunes on Pandora and had a great time. It's fun having bigger kids and not having to put all the ornaments on by myself. We did save some to put on with Daddy when he gets home.

We had Cosmo come spend a week with us while Grandma and Grandpa were out of town. The kids were happy to have him around.

Naughty Baby

This little lady is really having a hard time not being naughty lately. I can't count some days how many times I pull her off the table. She must really be testing the water to see what she can get away with and still get a good visit from Santa.

32 Weeks

 So, I realized I don't think I ever even announced on the blog that we have a baby on the way. Kind of crazy how fast time goes. We are expecting baby number 4. It's a little boy and his estimated appearance is the 24th of January. So here I am with only 8 weeks or less to go. I feel HUGE. The doctor actually said I am measuring big so next week we get to have a look at our boy again. I am excited that we get to see the little man again, we have never had an ultrasound this far along before. 

So far, everything has been going well. Mom and baby have been healthy and things have gone just as they should. I have experienced more contractions from earlier on than I have with the other 3. I have had some moments of serious discomfort but I suppose it comes with the territory. It's been a pretty good pregnancy but my hardest so far. I am just constantly tired and often don't feel well or have back aches or contractions or whatever other thing may be causing me issues. I am grateful that things are going as well as they are though. I feel very blessed so far by every pregnancy and every delivery I have gone through. They have all gone well and relatively been uneventful and we just hope for the same for this little dude.

This baby is a total, unexpected surprise to us. We weren't planning on other kids maybe at all but for sure we weren't planning on any for a long while. The initial shock was difficult to deal with. This is for sure the first of our children where I actually had to work to accept it and be happy and excited about it. This baby brings on a whole new financial aspect for us and that has been hard to swallow. The biggest thing is our having to buy a car. We are a 1 car family and adding this member leaves us with not enough room for everyone. We have been blessed to never have a car payment and now we have to take one on which is so not a fun idea. Thankfully we get a lot of money back from tax returns and we have that crutch to help make the payments if needed. If we have learned one thing it is certainly that children are not cheap. At least we have both boy and girl already though because hand me down clothes really come in handy. 

This boy was certainly not anything we expected. There was a lot of guilt at first about being pregnant and in our financial situation. Also a lot of guilt associated with the lack of thrill and excitement we felt about bringing another child into this family. I am incredibly grateful that over time the excitement has built and that we are all very happy to welcome a baby brother into our family. The financial stress is still there but we know it will all work out. This was not our plan but obviously we don't always see the big picture. We do know how incredibly blessed we are. Babies are wonderful and we are now so truly happy to get to bring another life into this world. We are so thankful for our family and know we are so blessed to have each other.

Thanksgiving 2011

 We had a totally non-traditional Thanksgiving this year. Jay worked and some of the Tucson family were visiting family out of town. Between that and me and Olivia being sick, we just kind of did our own thing. We started the day just like any other year by getting up and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It's a tradition I have had for as long as I can remember and it is a fun one to continue. This is the first year Zoey and Noah have really found it exciting and enjoyed seeing a lot of the balloons and things. I love the parade and it's just the way I have to kick of the start of Christmas.

 Olivia was just chilling on the couch reading Daddy's Scott Pilgrim comic.

 Most every year we go have Thanksgiving lunch with Jay at work. The hospital provides the food and it's nice to have the chance to go spend some time with Jay since he has to spend the whole day at work.

 We are definitely thankful for this little ray of sunshine. Olivia is the silliest, most sweet little lady. She absolutely brings a lot of joy to all of us.

 So thankful for this little lady too. Zoey is such a creative, friendly little girl. She is also a really great big sister. She really does look out for her siblings and is typically really good about playing with them and sharing her things. Zoey is a good girl and a good example to other kids at school and church.

 So thankful for this little messy boy. Noah brings such a different dynamic to the family. He is silly and funny and keeps us on our toes. He is definitely teaching us a lot about patience but he is ultimately such a sweet boy. He LOVES his family. He is an amazing brother to both his sisters. He is often very willing to share and will also often give things up to make someone else happy. Noah also is a very lovey boy. He loves to snuggle up and give hugs and kisses. He is a sweet boy and we sure hope it is a trait he never loses.

 My wonderful hubby. I am so incredibly thankful this man is in my life. He works hard for us so we can make ends meet and so I can stay home with the kids. He loves us all unconditionally. He is a good man and gets along well with pretty much everyone he comes in contact with. Life just wouldn't be as great without him.

 After lunch with Jay I took the kids to play at Arthur Pack park. It's the first time we have gone since they redid it and the kids had a great time. We stayed as long as we could, until Olivia started falling asleep in the swing.

 This cracked me up. Every time Olivia would go down the big twisty slide this is how she would end up. She always looked terrified when she was done. I would ask if it was fun and she would say yeah and then go back for more.

 Jay got off early and when he got home we did dinner together. The kids LOVE fondue so that's what I made as a treat for them. Cheese fondue with kielbasa, toasted bread and roasted potatoes. We all enjoyed it and it was a fun way to finish the day. It certainly didn't feel like Thanksgiving this year but we did have a pretty darn good day. What matters is that we spent the day together, having fun and for the most part being happy.

Little Miss Daphne

 I was lucky enough to get to watch Daphne for a few hours last week. She is a complete doll and Olivia and I were very happy to have her around. Here's the little miss, just 10 days old.

One of the only eyes open shots I got. Not my favorite but her eyes are open and she's looking right at me.

So very tired.

Baby feet! The only type of feet I will have anything to do with.

Squishy face.

Look ate those long fingers.

Meeting Daphne

 The Friday after Daphne was born the kids didn't have school so they were so excited to go meet her for the first time. Everyone got their turn to hold her and they ALL love her. We are definitely a baby family. It was sweet to see the kids with her and know that in a couple months that will be them with their baby brother. Seeing Daphne definitely makes us all more excited and anxious for our baby to get here. We can't wait!

Olivia was OBSESSED with Daphne. She thinks she should just be able to pick her up and carry her around like a doll. I get it because she is so tiny. We are going to have to watch this little monkey though when her brother gets here. Predictions have been made that one day we will find her walking down the hall with her baby brother in hand. I am pretty sure we will never be able to put him down where this little miss can get a hold of him. She is so sweet with the baby though and I think she will be so good and helpful with her brother.

 Noah was the first one to jump to ask to hold Daphne. He really loves the little lady. I know he will yet again prove to be an awesome big brother. He is so happy to be getting a boy baby.

 Zoey was super excited to meet the baby too. She was bummed she had to wait SO many days (like a whole 3) before she could see her. It is so fun with her being big now. She loves babies and is so good with them. She is also SUPER excited to be getting another brother.

 While there Zoey helped feed and burp the baby. She loved it and did a great job. I can't wait for our baby to be here. I know Zoey is going to just adore him and I think more than ever she is really looking forward to helping out. She is going to be great with him.

Sleepy Girls

School Costume Dance