Maclyn lately

My littlest is growing like a weed. Didn't I just birth her?! Something I remember with both the boys is loving all the little outfits and wanting to take a picture of nearly every teeny thing they put on. That desire is so much stronger now that I have a baby girl. She is like a little baby doll! It is so much fun. I seriously snap a picture with my phone every time I put a new outfit on Maclyn. 

Oh the frills! This sweet seersucker pink outfit was made with love by Grandma! (my mom)

Sweet girl snuggling with her big brother Finley. Love the smile!

I try really hard to accessorize my sweet baby, but I will be honest: I am not good at it. I have been a BoyMom for so long that it is just so easy to put on a simple outfit and move on. I do put a bow or headband in her hair on occasion though, snap a picture, then 30 minutes later it is off because it is around her eyes or has fallen off.

The faces!!

All gussied up for church in her pretty lavender outfit that her Daddy bought her right after she was born, and the crochet booties courtesy of Grandma. Oh, and her pearls. 

Tummy Time!! She doesn't get much formal tummy time in because she is so fussy that I don't do much to intentionally rock the boat. Generally, if her eyes are open she is crying or on the brink. It is exhausting. I occasionally get a few minutes of sweet talking and smiles and then a switch flips.

Ms. Brittney came to see the boys and love on Maclyn! This is about the best picture we could get! 

Oh, this isn't Maclyn...but Keagan lost another tooth (and he pulled it again)!!  In case you don't see the gaping hole, it was a top one. Haha! He is so proud of his lost tooth, but it really weirds me out!

A rare moment of a happy baby talking and smiling at mommy.

My little diva. Oh she is so cute I could just eat her up!

Big brothers giving baby sister some love this past Saturday. They still love her so so much!

My no-neck baby! The boys ask me all the time when she is going to grow a neck. Love their innocence. She has chins for days!

Such a sleepy girl. She falls asleep while nursing but the second I go to move her to her bed she wakes up. Whyyyyy?!

See???  It is pitiful. This picture hurts me...on many levels. I just wish she would nap because I know she is sleepy! I hate to see my baby cry. (Don't worry, I picked her up immediately after snapping this picture...and she fell asleep for a brief period in my arms...then I laid her down, and she woke up. Vicious cycle I tell ya.)

Last week was super rough...Maclyn just would not nap and was incredibly angry and fussy. It was evident something was making her uncomfortable. After lots of tears on my part and mentally noting certain patterns, I realized she was exhibiting signs of reflux (both boys had it so I was familiar). So I called the doctor and got her started on a trial of medicine, and it has helped a lot. It hasn't made her perfect (if only!) but she doesn't scream constantly. I cried to anyone and everyone who would listen, partly for adult interaction (because even though I am off work, maternity leave can be terribly isolating) and partly to allow myself to hear what was going on in an effort to find a solution. And also just to lament. At the end of the week my doorbell rang and I had the most beautiful surprise from Stacey. It was an incredibly uplifting surprise and at just the right time. The card read simply: A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Proverbs 27:9

My soul was refreshed. Thank you Stacey for your friendship and love. 

Finn's 1st Day

You know what happens when you have a 3rd baby? You lose time. Like, lots of time. And you also forget to do things. And you lose sleep, which makes your forgetfulness and time-loss worse. So here we are, nearing September, and I never documented Finn's first day of school of 4-year old Preschool.

Finn's first day was August 17th and boy-oh-boy was he excited! He will do 2 years of Pre-K before starting Kindergarten, with this being the first year and most of the kids in his class are in the same boat. When I made Finley's first-day sign he couldn't wait to get his picture made. I asked if Keagan could be in the picture with him and he demanded that it had to be after he got his picture by himself. 

Waiting in the carpool line! He saw Mrs. Mallory (Mal Mal) and was happy that she got him out of the van. Except we get a big laugh because he pretends to not know her when he sees her in public.

Crazy kid, he put his backpack on the front... 

After school Josh and I took Finn to McDonalds (his choice) to eat lunch and play in the playplace. Mal Mal also came with her nephews and the boys played for a while. She got some Maclyn-loving in the meantime. 

In the first week of school I really struggled with the drop-offs and pick-ups of both boys as well as Maclyn's feeding and (non)nap schedule. I was completely and utterly worn out by the end of the week. I feel like I am finally starting to get the knack of it all as we start the third week.

Finn has really enjoyed snuggling while we wait to pick up Keagan on the afternoons that he doesn't go to Mal Mal's house.

My friend Dana (momma of EJ and Ethan who are Keagan's and Finn's friends) had her 3rd baby right before school started for the boys. She was also surprised by the gender, and had a baby girl as well!! So now our families mirror each other even more 2 boys and a girl, all the same ages! One morning after drop-offs, Dana and I met for breakfast and let the baby girls "meet" for the first time. I told Dana that I was nervous about meeting little Eleanor Sue because she would make Maclyn look huge and it would hurt my heart that my fresh newborn was no more. The girls are about 4 weeks apart, and just as I expected Maclyn looked huge next to baby Ellie. They were probably the best they will ever be at a playdate, sleeping through the whole thing. It was nice to talk to another new momma of 3, and to "compare notes" about breastfeeding, having older boys, and the inconsistent newborn phase.

my babies x3

I am exhausted. I am overwhelmed. I get nothing done during the day and I don't get a full night of sleep anymore. I run constantly but I go nowhere. Life as a mother of 3 is a lot. But life as a mother of 3 is so fulfilling. Watching my three babies together makes every ounce of sleeplessness and concealer under my eyes worth it. The boys love-love-love their sister. And when she is awake and content she loves to watch them.

A couple weeks back I decided to take some pictures of all three of my babies. Let me first say that Pinterest makes all these cute sibling pics seem doable. But when you are dealing with 6 and 4 year olds and a newborn, you have to pick the poses that are most important because you will run out of time. The baby will not fall/stay asleep and the rambunctious boys will not "hold the pose" correctly and would rather go play. The potential for screaming at your two older kids is likely if you don't play your cards right. And then, hope your camera settings are right before you start shooting. And plan for rapid-fire shooting because you just won't get enough time! And if you are an amateur photographer and you really want to capture good pics of your kids together, let technical perfection go. It just ain't gonna happen.

In short: I don't know how photographers do it. It was super stressful and these are my children. And while the lighting isn't perfect and there are shadows, my heart absolutely sings with these pictures. I captured what I wanted: my three gorgeous children together.

Who doesn't love monogrammed bloomers?!!