Three MONTHS?!

So thanks to Mark's orientation, he reminded me it was Parker's three month celebration last week. So we stuck her in the bath, got out our props and took some pics. Hair bands and dresses didn't happen in this photo shoot because she got crabby for bed (doesn't help we remembered at about 830). At some point I will edit them, but time is not quite as free with work :(

Three months already, and so big I'm sure. We aren't going back for her ear check up so we won't know what her weight is until her four month check up. I definitely cannot believe it has been three months already, and part of me cannot believe she has only been a part of our family for three months. It's hard to remember a time before we were a family of five :) She has turned a corner in terms of her colic but still likes to hang out throughout the night. Usually just one feed but not always. I remind myself I will miss it one day even though I would REALLY love to sleep through the night since I haven't done it since February 14th :)

Happy Three Months Babydoll.

This past weekend was an adventure. Gwenyth decided to hit Hadley in the mouth with a wooden block which resulted in her tooth going through her lip. THANK GOODNESS it stopped bleeding on it's own and has healed up quite well. She is still bruised and the inside still looks pretty sore but she hasn't complained about it once and handled it like a champ....

Sisterly love right?!

Clearly she's not tooo hurt...

Silly, silly girls.

Oh how I love my girls :)

Art Work

The girls are at an age where they want to do crafts all the time and I just can't hold on to all of them, so I've deicded to take pictures of them and will print them off periodically in a book (thank you Family Fun magazine!!). That way I don't feel as bad for throwing them away!

First up, Hadley's cutting project turned into Gweny and Hadley's gluing project. Hadley's is red.

Gweny's is green...she was more fascinated with the glue then actually gluing something!!!!

Grandma Bebe has been sending crafts home with them...Gweny apparently attacked the paper with blue!!!!

Hadley attempted to  stay in the lines.

Lastly, my girlfriend's mom got matching shirts for all three of the girls, so I decided to attempt a photo op. Terrible idea. It was almost impossible when it was just the two older girls and now with Parker also it is impossible. Enjoy my attempt at a picture of my three girls...

Daddy reaching in to attempt to save Parker's life :)

Pouty faces because we continue to yell at them to leave Parker alone...

Many of you have heard me talk about my rough and tough little girl Gweny. She has a mind of her own and is often stubborn. I call her my little pistol. Everyday she gives me a run for my money between getting into things, hurting her sisters, or throwing tantrums but she has a spirit that can melt your heart. Her smile and laugh are contagious, and when she has her mind made up to give lovins she sure does :) I love my little Gweny and can't wait to continue to see the "big girl" she turns into.

Just checking the time, hanging out in my tinkerbell outfit?!?

My blonde bombshell.

Tumblebees

After a ton of begging, we finally decided it was time to begin an extracurricular activity in our house. Something I have been dreading and looking forward to all at once. With generous donations from family for Hadley's birthday we enrolled her in Tumblebees, which is a class made for her. It was really neat. Every week the gym set up was different. They spend like fifteen minutes at each station then move around the area. She is the girl in purple and hot pink shorts thanks to Aunt Mandie :) The way they teach them progressive moves is pretty cool, like one week they will hop a few times  the next the hop and move their legs eventually learning an attempt of a "cartwheel."

This picture they were just finishing up playing with a parachute and bouncing the balls off.

Hadley is learning to roll...

They had to inch along...it's so cute to watch her follow instructions and listen to the teachers. Now if she could just do that at home for me?!?!

This week feet were to go outside of her hands whereas last week they were in...

When she first went she was scared of the blue blocks. She would only pick one up and throw it not jump in like you are supposed to. By the end of the eight classes you couldn't keep her out of the blue block pit :) This week they had to do a summersault into them...

After climbing through the octagons she had to do feet up then down then up on the blocks...it's almost like a fun version of physical therapy where they sing and play, but she LOVED it and I look forward to taking her back this fall.

The best words to describe our house this week are getting better. Parker is coming around from the ear infection that got diagnosed last week. She is back to actually eating her bottles and attempting to sleep for longer stretches at night. Gwenyth decided to get hand, foot, mouth which for her resulted in a three day fever and some swollen, blistered tonsils. Thank goodness for mom's once again!! Mark's mom took her Monday and mine on Tuesday. Thank goodness :) since neither Mark nor I have any leave right now. So illness is better, but we still need to work on sleep.

One day, but these kiddos sure are cute...

  

Parker sure loves bath time. Of course Hadley and Gwenyth have to "help" whenever they can.

Rocking out some tummy time!!

Great nap time too :)

 The girls just love playing with Parker, all the time.

Beautiful Baby

So after last weeks post lots has happened. I started work :( :( which was horrible. I did miss my coworkers but I definitely did not enjoy leaving my baby. On Wednesday Mark stayed home with her because the hand, foot, mouth chaos at the sitters. On Thursday Auntie Mandie took her for the morning. Friday was her first full day at Miss Holly's and she did well. I was anxious leaving her even though I knew she was in good hands and would be fine. I didn't want her to be too fussy or a tough baby, but Holly said she was perfect :)

Her older sisters watched over her and protected her, teaching all the other kids to only touch her belly or her feet. I ended up taking her back to the doctor on Wednesday because she still wasn't eating well, screaming after only two ounces. As I told Mark, my mommy alarm just kept going off that something wasn't right. Sure enough, it wasn't my imagination. Chaulk up ear infection number one for little miss Parker. Poor thing lost 2 ounces in a day because of the silly thing. So meds were started Wednesday night and finally today she is starting to take her normal amount of food, and an easy night for mommy only waking once versus three plus times.

Enjoy the pictures...

Hanging Out

This sling was too cute with Parker at the photo shoot.  She was naked and well let's just say number two was not sooo pretty cleaning :)

Today was my last day with Parker and it was a whirlwind. We laid and played all day long together. She now yells within her cooing, it's sooo sweet. If you get her going she will smile for you like crazy! She spiked a random fever over the weekend and seemed to be fussy, screaming every time she took a bottle yesterday and today. The good news...absolutely NOTHING is wrong with her that the doctor could see. Gonna hold out a few days before trying reflux meds, with the thought that it's residual from the virus she likely had this weekend. So on that end good. She is up to 11 lbs 11 ozs...even thought she looks so darn small.

Bad news. The babysitters two younger kids have the foot, hand mouth virus. Sweet?!?! So my girls are already most likely infected and we will find out in 3 to 6 days. Parker can't go until everyone is fever free for 48 hours. So we have got to scramble as I clearly don't have time to take. Daddy gets to stay home with her tomorrow and we will see when the other two get their fever as I have NO CLUE what we are going to do?!?!?!?!?!

This too shall pass....

Part Two

So I'm super reflective today as my last full week of maternity leave winds down. I have so many emotions as usual. Part of me is so ready to get back and then part of me is devestated it's already over. As most of you close to us know, nothing major was accomplished this maternity leave. Well rephrase...I didn't complete any big projects like I had wanted to. A major thing was obviously completed, we made our family whole by bringing Parker to join us. That of course being the most important thing :) We also got to see so many transitions in our house. The older girls learning the rules around Parker, showing her off to their friends and family, and developing into the big sisters we knew they could be. Little miss Hadley is so protective of hr sister Parker, always near her side making sure she is safe, trying to calm her when she is crying, and wanting to hold her. Gwenyth took the role as big sister on slowly. Not so sure at first, fairly indifferent about this little lady taking her spot light. We got through the acting out and tantrums, and now have a good big sister that wants to always know where she is. Throughout this leave Gwenyth has undergone additional changes, losing her pacifier and beginning to potty train. All huge milestones for any kiddo especially one dealing with a new family member.  None of it is easy but we are learning to deal with the changes that come with these big girl things.

We've survived more illness and trials in twelve weeks than I could have ever imagined. We learned to rely on each other and on our family to help us get through the tough times. Most important, we have learned the tempermant and ways of our little miss Parker. She came out an angel. The perfect newborn that was beautiful, only cried when hungry which was every three hours like clock work. Then we started to see her stubborn side, not interested in breastfeeding, but that bottle sure went down just fine. Then about three weeks in colic hit. Three hours a night colic which resulted in Mark and I having to adapt. Trying lavendar rubs, gripe water, nightly baths. We tried it all. We are down to about an hour of fussiness in the evening with Parker which seems beyond managable after dealing with three hours!! Now we are getting to really know her personality with coos and smiles galore.  We love the feeling we have now of completion since she is here. It's really neat to know that infancy and pregnancy are now a part of our past. I'm already packing up all newborn things and breastpump items, ready to get them out of here :)

Parker is getting too big too fast. I had planned to not hold her this last week in hopes to make her sitters day easier but that definitely hasn't happened. I've made a point to take those naps with her laying on my chest (things I didn't get to do with all the mastitis issues), and

 hold her for as long as I can :)

More great pictures from Stacy...