"firsts"

We have had some big firsts as a family of 5 in the last few days. Maybe they aren't huge milestones, but sometimes it is the little victories that make you feel more normal...or at least moving in the right direction. I truly believe having a new baby is tough enough, but then adding a new baby to a family with two very active and loud little boys who still need a lot of parenting has taken things to a whole new level. Not that I would change a thing, but there is a definite learning curve! (add the fancy postpartum hormones and utter exhaustion and it feels like I am constantly moving through sand)

So like I said, it is the little things. This weekend Josh and I managed to go grocery shopping with all three kids. I wouldn't dare do this by myself yet, but it went super smoothly with Josh's help. The boys are generally difficult enough to grocery shop with, but this time they were oh-so-good. Maybe they could feel how important it was?? While we were in the checkout lane, Josh snapped this picture of the boys holding hands and talking. This went on for a few minutes, and it was adorable and made my heart sing. Oh, and the baby was perfect. She slept the whole time.

Another first: Maclyn's first real bath since her cord fell off! The boys loved it! Maclyn did not, she cried a lot. But I will say, that the subsequent baths seem to show improvement in her response.

Another big "first" was going to church as a party-of-5! We were super late...but we MADE it!! All three of our kids were dressed and fed, I managed to find something to wear and put some makeup on, and though we walked in right before preaching we did make it. I don't think I heard a thing during preaching, I was worrying over the boys and Maclyn was awake and near crying (or crying) for a big majority of the time. So it was stressful, but we were there. My pretty girl wore the dress and bonnet her daddy got for her while we were still in the hospital. And of course, her pearl bracelet.

After church I had Josh snap some pictures of me with my three children. I look at these pictures and my heart just swells. These are my miracle babies. MINE. I carried and birthed them. I am a mother of THREE kids.We struggled getting pregnant and required medical intervention to achieve each pregnancy and I am amazed at the blessings God has provided my family, as we were never promised any of it.

On Monday I started exercising again with light walking and putting Maclyn in a Moby wrap. Today I decided to try the stroller. I managed a mile and a half walk before Maclyn became fussy, then we headed back home. It was nice to get out of the house for a bit and get some exercise too!! Operation lose-the-baby-weight has begun.

Finny is FOUR!

Unbelievably, my spunky and silly Finley is four years old today. But if you asked him how old he is he generally says 6 (but sometimes 5 and sometimes 11...depends on the moment). We cannot tell if it is because he truly doesn't know or thinks he is the same age as his brother, or if he just says he is 6 (or 5 or 11) to be goofy. Either would fit his personality! Finley has been begging for his birthday since his brother's party a month ago. It has been a bit exhausting as Finley would complain and whine that it was "gonna take for a-hundred years" on a nearly daily basis. Luckily, the day actually arrived. Phew.

The night before his birthday, I checked in on the boys and found that they were both in Finley's bed. I am not sure how long this has been going on, but I do believe it happened the night before because I heard Keagan say something about how Finn actually didn't kick him, or something like that. And tonight Finley wanted to sleep up in Keagan's bed. So we shall see how that goes...  But I had planned to hang balloons from Finley's bed until I saw them together in Finn's bed. Keagan is such a light sleeper that I knew he would wake up if I snuck in and hung balloons from the top bunk. So I hung them from the door frame instead. The boys got a kick out of that.

 

The boys were in our bed suuuuuper early this morning (let me remind you that I have a newborn and don't get a full night's sleep anymore) and Finn was immediately begging to open his presents. It was like Christmas morning. When we told him that he could after breakfast, he immediately whined in his typical phrase of "that's gonna be forever." We managed to get him distracted by going to pick out donuts with daddy...

Check out this quick look-back of my now 4-year old over the years. Such a blondie...but sadly his hair is darkening up. Still so cute and just as goofy as ever!

Finally present time! Finn kept telling me that I couldn't take his picture, but then he would flash this awesome big smile when I pulled the camera up to my face. Ha! 

Finley was super excited about his new scooter from Grandma and Grandpa, it is just like his brother's!

The child LOVES jammies! He was so excited about the jammies that his mommy and daddy got him. And has asked all day when it would be bedtime so he could put them on!!

Great Grandma Gail sent some books and Legos...always a good combo. Finn cracked us up because he shook the present containing the Legos and immediately called out that he got some Legos! He was pretty excited!

Our celebration was 100% complete by 9 am this morning! This child wastes no time! The rest of the day was pretty normal, we took Finley to lunch and he requested a Sonic kids meal! Easy enough! Then the boys played outside some with their scooters. Josh worked the afternoon shift so he left right after lunch. It wasn't long before rest/naptime was upon us so we all piled into my bed to chill out and recharge for the afternoon (this is mainly for ME since I am now a mommy of 3 demanding little beings). Maclyn was wide-eyed and the boys loved it, so we started taking selfies. I love these pictures of my three kids. So cute! We actually all 4 did get a little nap at the same time...amazing!

2 weeks already?!

WOW. It is hard to believe that Maclyn has already surpassed two weeks of age. I feel like with each baby, time moves faster. And time moved fast enough with my first baby. These first two weeks have been a blur, but my fogginess is starting to improve and, while we still don't have a solid routine, we are getting to know our sweet Maclyn. Currently, she is eating every two hours during the day and it is wearing me out, but prior to this feeding frenzy (growth spurt?) she was going every 3 to 3.5 hours between nursing sessions. Sleep is improving, though we are in no way near sleeping through the night. She wakes every 3 hours or so to eat and the first time she wakes she generally goes back down easily. Then it is hit and miss how much we will be awake...and I can't figure that out. But I am trying to roll with it and know that this phase will soon be a thing of the past as she gets bigger. (I say that, but we did have a night that Maclyn was awake, and fussy, from 1 to 6:30 with nothing that would console her. Miserable.)

The boys continue to be in love, and kiss and hug her every chance they get. Keagan thinks she is the cutest baby ever and loves to see what I dress her in. Finley asks me often to please take care of his baby. They both want to hold her and have both been pretty helpful in singing to her and entertaining her. They also don't seem to mind "fetching" things for me when I am nursing. They love to throw Maclyn's diapers in the diaper genie and have done pretty good with doing more for themselves since I am preoccupied with the baby.

A lot of the pictures from the last couple weeks are from our phones so they aren't the best quality. However, at this time convenience trumps quality and it is more important to me to get a picture of the moment before it passes. My phone is nearly always nearby, my camera is not.

Morning snuggles in our bed...the boys do a pretty good job of taking turns holding their baby.

My parents ended up heading back to Texas the Wednesday after Maclyn was born. I was sad to see them leave, and worried about being by myself with all three! I am thankful that they were able to get some quality time with the boys and get some Maclyn snuggles before they had to leave. Maclyn may already have her Grandpa wrapped around her finger...

Three Generations! We need to get my Grandma in a generation picture. Maclyn is her first great-granddaughter!

Finley watching Grandpa who was watching him. Ha!

Grandma and Maclyn with the beautiful flowers they sent me in the hospital.

Playtime! Maclyn hung out and was entertained by her brothers for quite some time on this morning! I got a ton of sweet pictures, too..

When I went back and looked at this picture it reminded me of the picture I snapped just days before Maclyn was born, when the boys came into the bathroom in the morning while I was getting ready and put their sweet little heads on either side of my big belly. They were already so in love with the baby, and they had no idea if they were getting a little sister or brother. And now, that love continues to grow. 

 Naked baby girl...she is so teeny tiny! 

Maclyn makes some crazy faces. This is one of them. I feel like she is already critiquing my wardrobe or hair choices...and is saying, "Are you really gonna wear THAT!?"

As my swelling has decreased I have actually been able to put my rings back on. Josh got me a beautiful gold and diamond ring to commemorate Maclyn's birth and I am so excited to be able to wear it next to the other bands from Finley's and Keagan's births. 

This has become a nightly ritual...daddy-daughter snuggles.

My sweet girl snoozing in her bassinet, under her "welcome home" sign.

At Maclyn's two-week appointment this past Friday she kept having all these dreamy smiles. I captured a couple while we were waiting for the doctor to come in and check her out. The hope was that Maclyn's weight would be back up to birth weight (6# 15oz) after she lost a couple ounces in the hospital (we discharged at 6# 7oz). Well, my good eater weighed in at 7# 9 oz!! Mommy's milk does a baby good!