If you Give a Mama an Ice Cream Maker

If you give a Mama an ice cream maker, she'll want to eat ice cream.

She'll decide to do a "fun activity" with her 4 boys and make ice cream in the fancy ice cream maker that has pedals to stir the barrel of cream.

She'll let her oldest child measure the ingredients and pour everything into this .... contraption.

The mama cleans up the spilled sugar and cream off the counter.

Then she'll need to make "crushed ice" in the blender because, naturally, this ice cream machine is too small to hold actual ice cubes.

The noise of ice in the blender causes multiple children to scream and cover their ears.

Once the ice is sufficiently 'crushed', she'll scrape the ice into the barrel, making sure to spill half of it on the floor.

The mama will mop up the water on the floor.

Once the hand held machine is ready to go, she'll announce that it's ready to spin.

When all 4 children start fighting over whose turn it is to go first, she'll separate the children and tell them to take turns.

She'll remind them to take turns.
She'll set a timer to help with the turn taking.
She'll yell at them to stop yelling at each other about whose turn it is.
No on takes turns.

While the big boys are fighting over whose turn it is, the toddler runs away with the ice cream barrel.

When the Mama brings back the barrel, she'll realize that the cream is leaking.

She'll get paper towels and clean up the sticky mess on the floor.

She realizes that this ice cream surely must be close to being finished so she opens the barrel and stares down at a pool of not-even-close-to-being-frozen cream. The instructions were not accurate in saying it would be ready in 20 minutes.

The mama, realizing it's creeping ever closer to bedtime, abandons the fancy ice cream maker and pours the cream into a plastic bag and places it inside another plastic bag with the ice.

No one fights over having to shake the ice cold bag.

Still clinging to her attempt to be the "fun mom" and not wanting to back out on the promise of ice cream to her children, the Mama herself shakes the bag of ice until the cream seems to be in a more solid state.

She opens the bag of ice and pulls out the cream, only to realize that only part of the cream is frozen.

5 more minutes of shaking.  The ice cream is done.

It is 8pm.  Bedtime.

Realizing she was too far deep into this project and she couldn't back out now, she served the ice cream to her 4 boys.

The ice cream was surprisingly good.

After eating the ice cream, she promptly announces that it's bedtime. All 4 boys are running around the living room, tearing apart the couch cushions, rolling on the floor, purposely running into each other and laughing.

The mama is always surprised at how quickly the sugar hits their blood stream.

She pushes back bedtime by 20 minutes so they can run off their energy.

20 minutes is not ample time for boys to "run off" their energy.

After the living room has been sufficiently destroyed, so gathers her last remaining energy (why didn't she get that sugar rush??) to wrestle the boys into pj's and have them brush their teeth.

Two minutes after putting the little boys to bed, a blood curdling scream comes from their room.  Boy #3 comes hobbling out, sobbing. He is injured. He injured himself going to bed.

The mama asks how he could have possibly hurt his foot while laying in his bed and Boy #3 says that he was climbing in his window, slipped, and cut his foot on the heating vent.

The wound is really quite small, but the boy wails as if his toes are being cut off one by one.

The mama, cleans up the blood, attempts to calm him down and puts him back in his bed, this time with specific instructions to NOT climb in his window.

The mama calls the two big boys to bed. Boy #2 is giggling uncontrollably. He trips going up the stairs and starts crying. 1 minute later he is bouncing and giggling again.

She prays and tucks them in.

More wailing emerges from the little boys room. Boy #3 says his owie has traveled up his foot and into his leg.  His entire leg huuuuuuuuurrrrrrrts and he cannot sleep.

The mama, less patiently, tells him his owie is very small and it will feel better in the morning.

After kissing him and Boy #4 goodnight, again, she heads downstairs.

Boy #2 comes out saying he is still too wound up and cannot go to sleep. The mama makes him do 25 jumping jacks in the living room and sends him back to bed with a new book to read.

The mama is tired. The mama is exhausted. The mama needs ice cream.

But she has learned never to make it again in that #$^$@ ice cream maker.

Cole Oliver. 11 months.

This is it.  My baby's last month of being a baby.  Some days I'm sad about not having any more babies in the house.  And other days I'm excited about raising these 4 gentleman that God has trusted me with and seeing what the future holds.  All in all I'm so blessed to be their mama.

At 11 months, Cole ...

• is still wearing 9 months clothes (although his pants are getting a little short) and size 3 diapers.  He just moves too much to get chubby.
• is a very intense child.  There is nothing calm or passive about his personality at all.  When he laughs, it's straight from his toes and when he cries, I'm pretty sure the whole neighborhood can hear him.  It's even crazy to see him clench his fists and shake his arms with excitement when Chris comes home.  Or when it's lunch time.  There's just so much feeling bottled up in one tiny little body.
• has really perfected his pincer grab.  He's quite good at picking up small pieces of food from his tray and getting it straight to his mouth.
• knows how to open every cupboard door, pull out all of the boys' school books and even unlatch the baby gate if it's not locked.  It only takes him figuring it out one time and he's got it mastered.  This smarty pants isn't slowing down!
• crawls up the stairs with ease (when given the opportunity) but, despite our efforts to teach him, cannot go DOWN the stairs.
• Knows how to sign more, all done, eat, and nurse. He seems to be picking up on language really well. 
• is starting to learn "nice touches".  This was prompted by him scratching my face (and drawing blood) and pulling his brothers hair.  I don't think he means to hurt people, he just doesn't know any better.
• gets upset when he's locked out of something (cupboards, the stairs, etc).  He wants to tear apart everything he can get his hands on.
• gets upset when he's left out of the activity in the house.  He hates being left upstairs while Brooks and Dad play basketball in the mudroom. I'm finding that Cole is very social and loves to be where all the action is happening.
• loves his Mama, but has really taken a liking to his Daddy.  When Chris comes home from work, Cole will stand at the top of the stairs (trapped by that darn baby gate), and bounce and squeal until Daddy picks him up.
• is very calm around new people.  He's always been this way, but it makes it easier to leave him in the church nursery or with a babysitter when I know he won't be crying the whole time.  He loves having new places (and people) to explore!
• is becoming more comfortable walking along furniture.  We even pulled out his walker toy and he zips right across the living room with it.  Soon he'll be running.  Oy!
• still puts everything in his mouth.  The drooling has slowed some.  He still has 8 teeth.
• is terribly difficult to get dressed.  Or change his diaper.  He's constantly rolling over, kicking his legs, and trying to get away.  It's seriously like wrestling a wild animal trying to put clothes on him.
• sucks at sleeping.  Remember how I said last month that he was finally sleeping longer stretches at night?  Yeah, well, scratch that.  We're back to waking every 1-2 hours every night.  It's worse than having a newborn.  I feel like night weaning may be in our future, just so I can get some sleep!!

Cole Oliver. 10 months.

Cole has acquired a new nickname.  Action Beaver.  He's SO busy (like a beaver) and always seeks a thrill (action).  He loves to be thrown in the air, spun around and wrestled.  He's only 10 months old, but is already holding his own tumbling around with his big brothers. This kid keeps me on my toes!!

At 10 months old, Cole ...

• is still wearing size 9 month clothes.  Which is weird, because at this age Benny was in 18 month clothes!!  With how active he is, Cole doesn't have a chance to be a chubby baby.  He's quite muscular for a little dude.
• is a kid on the move.  If he's awake, he literally never sits still.  Even if you're holding him, he's trying to climb your shoulders and bounces all over.
• has been pulling himself up to standing for a few months, but has just started taking steps along furniture.  Walking is not too far off.
• is *finally* starting to sleep longer stretches at night (knock on wood).  We bought a sheep skin rug which is supposed to help with sleep, and over the course of a few weeks he's gone from waking every 1-2 hours at night to consistently sleeping 3-5 hours at a time.  Hallelujah!  We've also starting using magnesium lotion on his feet before bed and I think that's helped too.
• takes two good naps during the day - one mid-morning and one mid-afternoon.  I definitely enjoy the break.  I love that kid, but he destroys everything when he's awake.
• learned to sign "more" when eating.  He folds his hands together and lifts them into the air.  It took me a while to figure out that's what he was saying, but he seemed pleased as punch when he signed it and I offered more food.
• eats everything.  Fruits, veggies, meats, oatmeal.  Bath time has become a regular occurrence because he also wears most of the food I feed him too. Ha!
• has become less interested in nursing.  Perhaps it's because he's eating more foods or that he's just too busy to stop and nurse, but I usually have to force him to sit down and nurse (in a quiet room without distractions). But even when he's on my lap, he's grabbing at my nose, pulling on my lips or scratching my chest! Ugh!
• loves being outside!  Now that's it's getting a little warmer out, Cole's enjoying stroller rides around the block.  He's going to have a lot of fun this summer!
• still puts everything in his mouth.  Every.thing.  I really should brush up on my CPR & Heimlich skills. 
• still loves bath time.  And he's figured out that splashing is super fun!
• has starting drooling a lot again, but no new teeth have popped in.
• loves to laugh.  His belly is very ticklish and always giggles when we blow raspberries.  His brother's silly noises and antics usually are good for a laugh too.  He'll even laugh if you just look at him and laugh.  He's such a happy baby!

Cole Oliver. 9 months.

We're creeping closer and closer to that 1 year mark.  And as much as I'm sad to see my baby grow up, I'm loving Cole's personality coming out and seeing him explore everything around him.  He's learning so much and amazing me every day with what he can do.

At 9 months Cole ...

• is wearing size 3 diapers during the day (size 4 at night) and is wearing 9 month clothes.
• popped in two more teeth on the bottom and three on top! (total of 7 now)
• crawls everywhere.  Fast!  He's always on a mission to go somewhere and rarely sits still.
• pulls himself up to standing with ease and has learned how to get back down again without smacking his head on the ground.  A very handy skill indeed.
• is impossible to get dressed or change his diaper.  He's constantly rolling over and trying to crawl away.  It's like wrestling a monkey!!  
• Still puts everything in his mouth.  He has discovered the treasure trove of crumbs that are always on the floor under the kitchen table.
• Began the month not very interested in foods, but in the last week has dove in head first to eating solids.  He doesn't love to be spoon fed (although if I force it into his mouth he won't spit it out), but he very much enjoys feeding himself.  We were trying just to give him a few foods at a time to watch for allergies, but, well, he's the 4th child and pretty much just gets what's on our plates. (or what's on the floor) He loves eating cooked carrots, shredded chicken (meat is his favorite!), avocado, grapes, blueberries, puffed kamut, bananas, potatoes, eggs and quinoa.
• LOVES bath time, although he never sits still which makes this mama nervous.  He loves splashing and chewing on all the bath toys.
• naps great during the day,  but still sucks at night time sleeping.  We need to start working on that.  I've gone 4+ months without a single night of good sleep and I'm wearing thin.
• lays down to sleep all by himself.  We just give him his swaddle blanket, he shoves it into his mouth to suck on it and falls asleep on his own.  He refuses to be rocked or even held for longer than 10 seconds.
• discovered windows and the outside world.  He thinks it's pretty great.
• loves his Daddy.  Whenever he's home, Cole will chase him down and pull himself up on his legs to be held.
• has learned to sign "nurse" (which he uses frequently).  He's so smart.  I need to work on teaching him more sign language.
• enjoys pulling all the canned goods out of the pantry and pot lids out of the cupboard.  This kid never sits still.
• has mastered climbing stairs, but hasn't the faintest idea of how to go down them.  The baby gate is still up!
• laughs at silly noises, belly raspberries and his goofy brothers.  He loves being entertained.

Cole Oliver. 8 months.

It has a been a month of giant changes in our house!  Cole decided all at once he was ready to grow up.  I'm not so sure how I feel about that though.

At 8 months old, Cole ...

• weighs 17lb.  He has a good amount of chub on his little body, but is very strong & even a bit lean given how much he moves around.
• is wearing size 3 diapers during the day and size 4 at night (because Mama hates changing diapers during the night)
• wears size 9 month clothes.
• sits up independently.
• crawls on his hands and knees very well.  He can get anywhere he wants to go now.
• pulls himself up to his knees and up to standing.  He's good at getting up, but we've learned he's not so good at getting down.  I've soothed lots of cries dues to bumps and bruises and falling down this last month.
• has climbed up a few steps and has fallen down a half flight of steps. We now own a giant baby gate that covers both stair cases and stock in our chiropractic company.
• celebrated his first Christmas at our house.  Grandma Marty and Papa Dave came to visit.  He loved eating the wrapping more far more than playing with the presents inside.
• always found a way to get to the Christmas lights and put them in his mouth!
• has tried a few more foods - carrots, squash, green beans & applesauce.  He doesn't love any of them.  He doesn't enjoy eating foods.
• still takes good naps during the day.  He's super flexible with our schedule, sometimes going all morning without a nap.  He'll just make up for it with an extra long nap in the afternoon.
• is the worst.sleeper.ever. at night time.  He STILL wakes every 1-2 hours at night to nurse.  I long for even 3 hours of consecutive sleep at night.  I don't even remember what that's like :/
• is developing a stronger tummy so I'm now able to add beans, broccoli, cauliflower and some peanut butter back into my diet.  He still cannot tolerate me eating dairy yet.  We learned that the hard way after I was accidentally "cheesed" at a restaurant and Cole was up every half hour that night crying in pain.  I've haven't seen him that sad in a very very long time.
• loves bath time.  And since he can sit up well now, I'm not as paranoid about him tipping over & drowning.
• can tell Mom and Dad's feet apart and will fervently crawl towards Dad when he is home.
• is starting to explore the kitchen cupboards
• puts everything in his mouth.  Well, except food of course.
• is drooling less and less these days.  He still only has the two teeth.
• is interacting more with his brothers.  It's fun to see his personality start to develop.
• smiles often.  He's a really happy baby :)

Cole Oliver. 7 months.

This has been a big month for Mr. Cole.  Lots of milestones,  Lots of changes.  My baby is growing up so fast!

At 7 months old, Cole ....

• is on the move.  Forward!  He's figured out army crawling and is slowly working on hands and knees crawling.  Nothing is safe on the floor anymore.
• took his first tumble off the bed.  (see above)
• loves to eat paper!  Sorry Siouxland Library :(
• cut his first two teeth in.
• still chews on everything.
• is babbling and cooing all the time.  We call him our little sheep "ba ba ba ba ba"
• loves looking at himself in the mirror.
• is a grabber!  Hair, clothing, your face!  He pinches (hard!) and tries to put it all in his mouth.
• takes great naps during the day.  He usually sleeps for a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon.
• sleeps terribly at night!  He's my worst night sleeper by far.  I'm lucky if he'll sleep 3 hours at a time before waking to eat.  Usually he's up every 1.5-2 hours :(  It's like having a newborn all over again.
• tried his first foods at the end of November.  Avocados.  He wasn't a big fan.  I was hoping eating solid foods would help him sleep longer at night.  So far, no luck.

Cole Oliver. 6 month.

And just like that, our little Scooter is 6 months old.  He's growing and changing so much and I'm just soaking up all his baby goodness before I blink and it's gone.

At 6 months old, Cole ...

• is still wearing size 3 diapers and 6 month clothes, although they're both fitting more snugly than last month.
• is very efficient at getting up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth, but still isn't crawling yet.
• still chews on everything. Paper is his favorite. Nothing is safe on the floor.
• drools constantly.  Still no teeth.
• has become a hair puller.  And a cheek pincer.  (isn't that supposed to work the other way around??)  He has a very strong grip and whatever he grabs on to, he will NOT let go of.
• nurses every 3-4 hours during the day.  Sometimes life gets so busy that I just forget to feed him.  Even when he starts squawking and crying I think "Good grief, why are you so fussy??"  Oh. right.  You're hungry.  Poor 4th kid.
• has been sleeping a little longer at night.  Lately he's been going to sleep between 8-9pm.  He'll wake to eat around midnight, again around 4ish, and then up at 7am.  Sometimes he'll go back to sleep after I nurse him, but usually our day starts around 7am.
• usually takes a short nap in the morning (30-45 minutes) and then a longer nap in the afternoon (2-3 hours).  Sometimes he's squeak in a short early evening nap, but not very often.
• threw a few 4am parties this last month.  I knew I shouldn't have said anything :(
• has the best smile and giggle.
• received his 2nd hair cut at the beginning of October.  The crazy newborn hair got chopped :(  Part of me wanted to leave it since it was the hair he was born with, but we ultimately decided to cut it since we had family pictures coming up.
• talks and coos all the time.  He focuses so hard on making "words" come out.  My favorite sound so far is "mumumumumum"!  We'll just go ahead and say that's his first word ;)
• takes a bottle really well.  That makes it easier for this mama to be away from him.
• prefers to be bounced to sleep.  Or sometimes nursed to sleep on the bed.  He does NOT like to be rocked when he's tired.
• holds on to his blankie and sucks on it while we're bouncing him to sleep.
• is tolerating being worn in my carrier, but only if I'm constantly moving.  That's made running errands and trips to the park so much easier.

Cole Oliver. 5 months.

These months seems to be going by faster and faster.  Cole is definitely on the move.  He's very proficient at rolling over both ways, pulling himself side to side to reach toys. pushing himself up on his arms (and thereby pushing himself backwards) and even getting his butt in the air to all fours!!  Full on crawling is not too far off  And part of me wants to cheer him on because I know he's so much happier when he can get to the things he wants to.  It's fun to watch him explore new things.  But part of me wants to yell "SLOW DOWN!".  Being my last baby, it's bittersweet to watch him fly through these milestones knowing it'll be the last time.  Plus, I hate baby proofing!

At 5 months, Cole ....

• is wearing 6 month clothes and size 3 diapers.
• loves playing with toys, especially ones that make noise.
• is very good at getting toys, blankets, paper, and his fingers into his mouth.  Everything goes in his mouth!
• loves sucking/chewing on blankets.  It's like his pacifier.
• gets bored easily.  With 3 big brothers around, he's used to constant entertainment.
• likes playing in his excersaucer.
• nurses every 2-4 hours during the day.
• spits up a lot more than he used to.  That plus the drooling make bibs a requirement every day.
• smiles and laughs often. He's having so much more happy awake time during the day.
• loves to look at and play with the shower curtain.
• will either nurse to sleep or likes to be bounced on the big ball until he falls asleep.
• sleeps great in his own bed, but doesn't sleep well on mama anymore.  Usually there's too much going on for him to sleep on my chest during the day.
• naps inconsistently.  Some days he'll only take 45 minutes naps.  The next day he'll sleep for 3 hours in the afternoon.  It makes planning the day difficult, but at least he sleeps.
• wakes up every 2-4 hours at night to eat.  I really miss those 6-8 hour stretches of sleep :(
• will wake to nurse and then go right back to sleep.  I think it's been several weeks since he's thrown a "let's be awake for an hour at 4am" party.
• still loves being naked and bath time.  It's the easiest way to calm him down.

Cole Oliver. 4 months.

As much as I love my newborn babies, I just love when they get a bit older and their personality starts to show.  They become more interactive, smile more and you can actually put them down for longer than 30 seconds without them screaming their ever lovin' head off. haha!  We're loving our Cole baby.

At 4 months old, Cole ....

• is still wearing 6 month clothes and size 3 diapers.
• drools constantly and chews on his fist like it's his job.  Still no teeth.
• has started showing interest in toys. His squeaky moose is his favorite.
• found his feet :)
• has a fantastic smile.
• laughs! But what makes him laugh changes from day to day.

I spy dimples!

• gets the hiccups every time he laughs.
• got his first hair cut. The mullet had to go!

before

after

• has started going to the church nursery on Sundays.  He'll join us for worship, but then he gets too bored and noisy to sit through the quiet part.
• rolls over to his tummy very easily.  Then rolls to his back.  Then to his tummy.  He's always moving.
• can pull himself in a circle when on his tummy to reach a toy.  Seriously, this kid needs to slow down!
• will take an hour-ish long morning nap and (on a good day) will take a 2-3 hour afternoon nap.  Then he'll usually sneak in a short nap in the evening.
• falls asleep for the night around 9pm.
• will usually sleep 6-8 hours at night, but hit a growth spurt this month which included more night time feedings.
• sleeps in his own bed well, but still enjoys snuggling with Mama too.
• has started tolerating being worn in my Boba carrier.  But only if I'm moving.  Constantly.

Cole Oliver. 3 months

Well, somehow, against my will, this dude is getting older.  And bigger.  He's 3 months old already and growing like a weed.  But there are three big brothers to keep up with, so I guess I understand his hurry.

 At 3 months old Cole ...

• wears size 3 diapers.
• has outgrown all his 3 month clothes,
• is still the hottest/sweatiest baby ever.
• is taking great naps during the day.
• sleeps well in his car seat 
• consistently sleeps 6-8 hours at a time at night.  Hallelujah!
• can get his hands to his mouth.
• chews on his fist constantly.

• drools a lot (I fear teeth are coming soon)
• is a very happy baby now that I've eliminated all the gassy foods out of my diet.
• has wonderful, big, open mouthed smiles :) Although he's camera shy whenever I try to capture it.
• coos and talks to us all the time.  He's even started dinosaur growling.
• is totally entertained by his goofy big brothers.
• has learned to rock himself in his little rocking chair.
• can roll from his back onto his side easily.  Can't quite get to his tummy yet.
• just rolled from his back to his tummy as I was typing this. Haha!
• still loves to be swaddled and bounced or rocked to sleep.
• will sometimes nurse to sleep on the bed.
• likes to be held facing out.  There's a big world that he needs to see!

Cole Oliver. 2 months.

Time is so funny with a baby in the house.  Some days drag on for.ev.er and yet, here we are, with a 2 month old.  A lot has changed in the last month, mostly for the better thankfully.

At 2 months old, Cole....

• weighs 13lb 4oz (holy giant baby!)
• is stretching to the end of his 3 month clothes
• wears size 2 diapers
• is having a lot more happy awake time
• had his lip & tongue tie revised at 5 weeks old.  The recovery was super rough, but thankfully he's doing much better now
• still doesn't have an amazing latch, but it's better than it was before
• is the least consistent napper. ever.
• is sleeping longer stretches at night time, sometimes up to 5 or 6 hours at a time!!
• loves to look at faces
• is starting to smile and coo (my favorite!)
• still loves to be swaddled
• is no longer a fan of the pacifier. he prefers to nurse to sleep
• doesn't love his car seat, but he's not crying the entire time he's in it anymore.  so that's good.
• does not like being worn in my wrap or sling.  super inconvenient.
• has a very sensitive tummy.  I've had to cut out all dairy, soy, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peanuts/peanut butter, any kind of sausage and orange juice.  (sigh)  Food will be fun again someday.
• loves bath time and being naked in general :)
• enjoys diaper changes

Cole Oliver. 1 month.

It's hard to believe it's been a month since Cole arrived in our arms.  It's a little sad because these newborn, squishy, sleep all day times are so fleeting.  But it's good too since those early newborn days are so hazy where I'm still recovering from birth, the baby has his nights and days mixed up, the big brothers are behaving terribly since they, too, are adjusting to a new life.  So it's nice to be a little more settled into a routine.

The big boys were all convinced we should name the new baby "Superman".  Hence the shirt :)

Anyway, we're ALL loving our little Cole boy.  For real, the big boys fight over who's going to hold/rock/pacify him.  Which would be great, except that they're boys.  And it's gets a little rough!  More than once I've said "We're not going to fight over the baby!" and "Don't hurt the baby!!"  Cole has come out ok so far - no major incidents - but I feel like it's only a matter of time.

For the first few weeks. Cole cluster nursed.  For a few hours, he'd eat every 20 minutes or so, which was a little exhausting knowing I couldn't go too far from him when he was awake.  Showers didn't happen much.  But then he'd sleep for a few hours.  Now at 1 month, he's spaced out his feedings a bit more and he's really not interested in nursing if he's not hungry.

Part of that may also have to do with his tongue tie.  That's been our biggest struggle so far.  The frenulum under his tongue is a bit too short, so he's not latching well.  Thankfully it hasn't caused any issues for ME but he's taking in a lot of air when he eats.  Which means there's a lot of gas in his poor little tummy :(  Plus, I've leaned that yet again, I will be going dairy free while nursing.  I've also cut out soy, beans, broccoli, peppers, onions and anything that might seems spicy/gassy.  (sigh)  Fare thee well cheese.  It was nice knowing ya.

But since I've cut out those things, he's been much happier.  And when we get his tongue tie fixed on Thursday, that will hopefully resolve any remaining gassy issues.  He really is a pleasant baby, but not when his tummy hurts.

Night time sleep is getting better now that he's figured out his nights and days.  Most nights he'll sleep for a few hours (any where from 2-4 hours), nurse and go back to sleep.  Sometimes though if he takes in too much air while nursing his tummy will hurt so we have to get up, burp and then rock back to sleep.  Sometimes that takes 20 minutes.  Sometimes that takes an hour or more.  Coffee is my very best friend.  He'll sleep part of the night in his rock n' play and part of the night in our bed.  Quite frankly, I don't care where he sleeps.  As long as he sleeps!  Daytime sleep is anything but consistent.  One day he'll cat nap all day long.  The next he'll rock a couple 3 hour naps!  If having 4 kids has taught me anything, it's to let go of expectations and just take each day as it comes.  If Cole is having a hard time sleeping, then we binge watch Netflix and I hold him for his whole nap.  If he's having a happier day, then I can put him down and wash a load of laundry or something.  The housework is so far behind it hurts my head to thing about it, but I know I won't get these days back either with my tiny boy.  So the dust sits.  The floors remain unswept.  And my arms and heart are full :)

Cole loves to be swaddled.  It's guaranteed to calm him down almost every time.  He takes the pacifier pretty well if he's tired.  He's a big fan of being held, but not always in my wrap or sling.  To put him to sleep, I'll usually swaddle him, give him the touchie (aka pacifier) and rock or bounce him to sleep.  He loves movement,  But he hates riding in the van and usually cries the whole time we're driving.

He's also a hot little baby.  He sweats more than anyone else in our house.  Most days he's just in a onesie, even to sleep at night.  I'll swaddle him in a thin, muslin blanket and he'll still wake up sweaty.  If he's sleeping with me, the bed will literally be wet where his head was.  And because I don't wash our sheets every day, my side of the bed is, well, kinda gross.

Cole loves learning our faces and is becoming more interested in watching his goofy brothers.  He also LOVES ceiling fans and staring at lights.  Oh, to enjoy the simple things in life.

Cole Oliver. A Birth Story.

It was Monday, May 2, 2016, 4 days before my "due" date.  I had just come off of THE busiest week of my pregnancy. (note to self: running a rummage sale for 3 days at 38/39 weeks pregnant is NOT a good idea.  It's just not)  We were all still feeling a bit cooped up and the kids were driving me, and each other, CRAZY so we packed up in the van and left the house.  We stopped at Goodwill to drop off the last of our rummage sale stuff, I grabbed coffee (as my reward for not killing the children), went to the chiropractor (where I assured him I would indeed see him the following Monday still pregnant), picked up a few homeopathics for the birth, and stopped by Chris' office to visit Daddy.  It was good.  There was no fighting.  We needed to get out.

Once back home, the boys played outside and I sat with my feet up on the back patio soaking in the sun.  All last week it was cold and rainy so this was a welcome change.  I had a massage scheduled for that evening that I was very much looking forward to.  It was going to be a good day.  It needed to be a good day.

While I was making the boys' lunch, my lower abdomen started cramping.  Awesome.  This was a regular occurrence during the last few weeks of my pregnancy since this baby was sitting SO low.  Sometimes those poor muscles just gave up on me and would start cramping.  So I rubbed magnesium lotion all over my belly, something that had helped in the past.  But today, it was proving not so helpful.  A little while later it cramped up again.  And a bit later, again.  Dang cramps.

It wasn't until about an hour later that I realized these "cramps" might be contractions.  It's still funny to me that I've had three other babies (and I teach people about labor for crying out loud!) and I still didn't recognize these as contractions.  Around 2:30ish I texted Chris and our doula to let them know what was going on.  I wasn't totally convinced this was labor as the contractions were very mild and I was easily walking and talking through them.  But I wanted to make sure they had their phones close by, just in case this developed into something.  A little while later our doula, Suzanna, called to see how I was doing.  I felt kind of silly even talking about labor, because this definitely didn't feel like it.  But I knew how Benny's birth went and I wanted people to be at the ready.  I told her I was doing great and would keep her posted if anything changed.  Then she asked me if today was a good day to have a baby.  Hmm.  I hadn't really thought about it.  I wasn't even to my due date yet so I wasn't really thinking about labor, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that "yes", today was a good day to have a baby.

A little while later Chris called to check in.  Again, I told him things were going well.  I was definitely having contractions, but they were still really mild.  I was finishing up some laundry, then planning to start supper and go outside and play a game of ladder golf I had promised Brooks.

Around 4pm, Chris suggested I let our midwife know what was happening, you know, just in case.  So I texted her and our birth photographer.  Our midwife, Belinda, called about 20 minutes later to see how I was doing.  She was actually finishing up at another birth in Iowa and her partner was also at a birth (oh dear!) but I told her contractions were still mild and that I was doing well.  I had finally come to terms that today was probably baby day, but I just wasn't sure when things would pick up.

Our photographer, Amy, and I were also texting back and forth to figure out when she should come over.  So much to try and coordinate.

I set the spaghetti sauce on the stove to simmer for dinner and then headed outside to play with the boys.  I chatted with our neighbor for a bit then proceeded to let Brooks beat me at ladder golf.  With all the walking around outside, the contractions were starting to pick up in intensity.  I was still talking through them, but it wasn't very pleasant to walk through them anymore.  During the ladder golf game, Brooks asked why I kept stopping.  I told him I was having belly squeezes.  "Do they hurt?" he asked me.  Uh huh, just a little bit, but it feels better if I stop moving when I have one."  He was very patient with me as we finished our game.  Up to this point I hadn't bothered with timing them, but I figured I should start.  5-6 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute.  Yep, this was labor.

Around 5pm, we finished up our game and I really didn't feel up to more walking.  So I headed inside to rest.  I had a contraction while heading up the stairs and I went down to my knees.  These were getting more serious.  I needed Chris home but at this point he was already on his way, so I didn't call.  I texted our doula to let her know this was indeed labor and she decided to start driving in from Brookings.  I also let Belinda know contractions were pretty close.  She was just wrapping up at the other birth and waiting on her nurse.  Then they would head up to Sioux Falls from Iowa.

I knew I needed to call Grandma Gale to come get the three other boys, but contractions were commanding more of my attention now and quite honestly, I was tired of texting people and trying to coordinate everything myself.  "Chris can handle that when he gets home" I thought.

Chris came home shortly after 5pm and immediately started filling up the birth pool.  He called Grandma Gale but she didn't answer.  A few minutes later, he called her back.  No answer.  He called Papa Gale.  No answer.  Then Bekah.  Then Heather.  No one was answering their phone.  Uh, that sucks.  So we started going through our list of regular baby sitters, knowing we needed to send our kids somewhere for the evening.  No one was answering their phone.  Now I was started to get a little panicked.  I was trying to help the boys get an overnight bag packed in between contractions, but I was not much help.  Benny woke up from a late nap and needed a diaper change.  Chris was still making phone calls and trying to gather birth supplies.  And I'm alone in our room, now moaning through contractions.  It was stressful, to say the least.  I was trying to focus on labor and block out the other noise, but it was hard.

Then Brooks came to check on me.  "Do the tummy squeezes hurt now, Mama?"  Yes, they do buddy.  It's a lot of hard working having a baby."  "Is there something I can do to help?" he asked.  What a sweet boy.  I was sitting on the ball leaning over our bed, and I asked him if he could rub my back.  So he stood next to me, laid his head on the bed near mine and rubbed my back.  I looked into his bright blue eyes, filled with concern for his Mama, and smiled.  Here was my firstborn son, taking care of me as I worked to birth his third little brother, our fourth son.  I closed my eyes and soaked in his love.  Everything was going to be ok.

Chris was going to put a movie on for the boys until we found a place for them to go, but I realized it was now 6pm, and the boys were probably hungry.  They hadn't eaten dinner yet.  Or even had an afternoon snack.  So Chris slapped some peanut butter on bread and sat them down for "dinner".

Finally I texted our neighbor, Hannah, to see if she was home and if she could take the boys, just for a few hours until we got a hold of Grandma Gale.  (my one regret of this whole labor was not texting her earlier in the day!)  Hannah wasn't home (gah!!) but her husband was and said he would take the boys.  I felt awful sending over my 3 boys (to add to their 3 little boys) but we literally had no other options.

Amy arrived around 6:15pm and was awesome at helping boil water for the pool and getting our bed ready with waterproof liners.  I told Chris that Jon would take the boys and Amy quickly offered to take them over to their house.  I laughed as I watched them through the window - she had Benny in one arm, their overnight bag in the other and they were just short of running down the sidewalk.  I was thankful to know they had a place to go.  And thankful Amy was there to take them.  I texted Belinda to let her know things were really picking up and to see if she was on her way.  She was on the road.  Whew!  At Benny's birth, the midwife barely made it there in time.  I was happy to know Belinda would be here.

Once the boys were gone, I finally settled into labor.  I stayed in our bedroom since I needed to use the bathroom often.  Around 6;30pm Suzanna arrived.  By this point contractions were really close and very intense.  I was definitely not talking or walking during them, and very little in between them either.  Chris was also with me now that the big boys were out of the house.  I really needed him with me now.

Baby was sitting so low that sitting on the ball wasn't comfortable any more and laying down wasn't comfortable when I wasn't in labor, so I wasn't even going to try that.  So I stood, leaning over our bathroom sink and moaning and swaying through each contraction.  They really hurt and each one brought on more pressure down low.  Chris and Suzanna were rubbing my back, getting me water and talking me through contractions.  I honestly have no idea who was touching me since I barely lifted my head out of my arms on the counter.  The contractions were really close and each one seemed harder than the last.

I really appreciated all the help from Chris and Suzanna but I really felt like I went inside myself during this labor.  The contractions would come and I really wanted to give up.  I wanted to let fear take hold of me.  To cry out that I didn't want to do this anymore.  But I knew I had to.  No one else could birth this baby and there was no other way around it.  I had to do it.  So with each contraction I let go.  I relaxed everything I could to make the most of each contraction.  And I had to let go of the fear.  I kept wanting to ask "how many more contractions do I have to do?" but I knew they couldn't answer that any more than I could.  So I kept leaning, and swaying and moaning.  Chris prayed over me.  I knew Amy was praying.  And I knew this baby would be here soon.

A few times Suzanna asked if I wanted to get in the tub but I always said no.  Mostly because I knew that during Benny's labor getting in the water made contractions worse.  I couldn't handle worse right now.  And partly because Belinda wasn't there yet.  And I needed her there before I got in the water since things would probably pick up then.

Contractions kept coming, sometimes they didn't end, but then I would get a short breath of relief before the next one came.  With each one I could feel more and more pressure down low and I kept hoping that I would get that "overwhelming" wave that caused me to start pushing.  But it didn't come.  Not yet.  So I kept swaying and moaning.  One of the best things Suzanna said to me was "These are really strong contractions."  So simple, yet I felt so empowered just having her acknowledge the incredible amount of work I was doing.  And to reaffirm (at least to me) that I wasn't being a wimp and that these really were hard.  And I was making it through them.

Suz also recognized that pushing wasn't too far off and encouraged me to start making my way downstairs to the birth pool.  I finally agreed.  For the last hour I hadn't left our little bathroom and as I stepped out to walk downstairs, I realized I wasn't going to make it very far.  A contraction hit and I knew I wasn't going to make it past those few steps out.  I gripped onto Chris and yelled for the whole neighborhood to hear (literally.  I realized later that our bedroom windows were wide open!  Oops.)  And with that never ending contraction, I started getting that urge to push.  I felt ok standing there, but Chris and Suz thought it would be better for me to get on my hands and knees since my legs were shaking with fatigue.

Belinda still wasn't there.  But I don't recall being worried about it.  I knew the baby would come and I knew he would be ok.  Chris, however, was getting little concerned.  Later, he told me he was thinking through having to catch this baby on his own and just praying that nothing went wrong.  And we were both so glad that Suzanna was there.  She put down the waterproof sheet on the floor and a few chux pads under me.  And while I was pushing she had Chris get in position to catch our baby.  I never sensed panic or fear.  Just Chris and I, our doula, and photographer - having a baby.

During one pushing contraction, my water broke and I kept pushing.  Oh, the primal sounds that come out during pushing!  I totally forgot how hard it is to push out a baby.  Which seems silly, but in the water, it seemed so effortless.   No burning or stretching sensation.  The baby just kinda slid out.  And during my last two births, I think I pushed for a whole 5 minutes.  This kiddo was taking what seemed like an eternity to come out.

And then I heard it.  The giant, collective sigh of relief as Belinda and her nurse came into the room.  Oh, we were all so glad she was there.

She quickly set up her things, and got into position to catch a baby.  It wasn't long after that that I had the worst contraction of my whole labor and a crazy amount of pain.  Belinda told me to push slow but I felt like I really didn't have control over pushing.  My body just took over.  Everything hurt so I didn't feel like I pushed too hard, but even if I was I don't think I could do anything about it.  So much pressure.  So much pain!  Oh my word this baby just needed to come OUT!  And then he did.  I felt his head was out and immediately there was so much relief.  A moment later his body was out and that was it!  He was here.  7:30pm on Monday evening, May 2nd.

I can't even describe the amazing feeling the comes with holding your baby for the first time.  All wet and wrinkly and perfect.  He was just perfect.  We did it.  I knew I could do it and I did.  I was so happy to not be pregnant anymore and I was so happy to finally have this little boy in my arms!

It was just a few minutes later that the placenta came out.  After that Chris cut the cord and I made my way to the bed.  This was the moment I had been waiting for.  When the pregnancy was over, the labor was over and I could just rest with a newborn baby in my arms.  Sweet bliss!  We spent time together nursing and getting to know each other.  We had two names picked out, but we decided to call him Cole Oliver.  It fit him well.

Belinda, her nurse, and Suzanna were cleaning up their things, draining the pool that I never used and making sure we were all settled in.  The pot of spaghetti sauce was still on the stove, but instead of feeding my family, it fed my birth team!  Grandma Gale eventually called us back (she left her phone in the house earlier while she went outside to work in the garden.  She wasn't expecting me to have a baby that day either!) and she came over and picked up the boys from the neighbors.  They were thrilled to have a sleepover at Grandma's house!

It was a day that started as an ordinary day, but ended with a sweet new baby in our arms.  And just like that, we were a family of six!

When you finally get around to hanging curtains...

We've lived in our current home for almost 4 years.  We never intended to live here that long, but it's just the way things worked out.  We've made it "home" as much as we could during that time, but since it's a rental we never did a whole lot.  We hung pictures and curtains on most of the windows and that's about it.  But one thing we never did was put up curtains in our dining room.  We have a long bank of three windows and I didn't have any curtains that fit.  And whenever I would mention buying curtains for those windows, Chris would grumble and say something about not wanting to spend money on a rental.  Which made sense, I guess.  So I never bought curtains.  And for three years those windows were naked.

And then we started house hunting.  Two years ago.  We had put in offers on FIVE houses and obviously came up short on each one.  The chances of us actually buying a house were looking pretty slim.  So in one sense I kept hesitating putting up curtains because, you know, we could move any time.  But with each house we didn't get, the more anxious I was to make the house we DID have more of a home.  I wanted curtains!!

Well a few months ago I was talking with a student of mine who was interested in bartering for part of her class cost.  When I found out she was a seamstress, I asked if she would sew us some curtains for our poor naked windows, and she happily agreed.  I received those curtains about a month ago and right away I bought a curtain rod and made Chris hang them up.  He still wasn't excited about hanging curtains in a rental house but he saw how happy it made me and he installed the curtain rods with a smile.

He then said jokingly "You know, now that we've hung curtains, we're going to buy a house and move, right?"

"Well, if that's all it takes!" I laughed.

We continued to house hunt, but I was mentally preparing myself to spend yet another summer in our current house, making the best of our little piece of yard on our small corner lot.  It's a good house.  We've enjoyed four summers here and we can enjoy one more.

But one Friday morning a few weeks ago we went to yet another house showing.  It was a foreclosure on the west side of town (neither of which were very appealing) but it looked big in the pictures and it was definitely in our price range.  So I bribed the kids into the van and bundled ourselves up to look at a house with no heat in March.

It was a 1978 retro looking house on a huge corner lot in a really nice neighborhood.  There actually was a back yard (not something you often see with a corner lot) and it was fenced in.  That's a good start.  Then we walked inside.  The house was dirty, the cabinets were old, and there was this funky retro rock wall in the basement.  And. we. LOVED. it!!

It really wasn't much to look at, but the more we walked around, the more we saw all the possibilities in this home.  And the more we realized that all the "work" that needed to be done was cosmetic and really not that hard to do, the more attractive the house became.  Paint and a good cleaning would go a loooong way with this house.  Plus, it's HUGE!  The house has over 2400 sq. feet, 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms!  Holy giant house, batman!!  It's far bigger than any other house we even looked at, let alone put an offer in on.  Our only concern was that since it was a foreclosure, you don't get a property disclosure statement.  So you never really know what you're getting into.

But we thought about it and prayed about it.  Chris went back a second time with his boss from work and their site manager to look at all the little details.  I mean, who better to "inspect" a house than the president of a construction company and his right hand man.  They climbed on the roof, looked in the attic, checked out the foundation and they both said it looked awesome.

We decided to go for it.  Let's put in an offer.  We both felt really good about the house and really loved all the space in it.  We did our best to not get our hopes up considering our lousy track record with buying houses.  But maybe, just maybe, this was "the one".

So we put in our best offer and waited.  It was a Sunday and we didn't expect to hear about the house until at least Tuesday.  We did our best to put it out of our minds and to be honest, I was already planning my pity party.  How am I going to grieve the loss of this house?  With five other offers and no houses, this was surely going to be #6 in the pile of houses we didn't get.

Well, Monday around noon Chris comes home for lunch - like he does every day.  But this day?  This day he comes in with a box of 'Oh My Cupcakes' and a stupid grin on his face.  Then he says "I have good news."

Shut up!  You're kidding, right?  RIGHT?!?  He was most definitely NOT kidding.  We got the house.  Shock.  Disbelief.  We put in offers on houses.  We don't actually buy houses.  But this one we bought.  This was OUR house.  The boys came running into the kitchen (apparently the sight of their mother squealing and throwing her arms around their Daddy's neck is cause for concern)  We told them the good news and they joined in the celebration because, they too, had been dragged to dozens and dozens of houses all over Sioux Falls in hopes that each would be "the one".  We cheered.  We jumped and danced (for real, we jumped around the kitchen like a bunch of fools).  We hugged and laughed.  And we thanked God.  Thanked Him for his provision and wisdom through the whole process.  And thanked Him for the house that we've been waiting for for so long.

We're so excited to move!  Exited to have a big back yard where the boys can run.  Excited to be in a different neighborhood.  Excited to finally have a place to call our own.

Now, I just need to find a place to hang those curtains ....

Congratulations Auntie Kayla and .... the guy that goes with Auntie Kayla

Two weekends ago we packed our van with nearly all of our earthly possessions, loaded the DVD player with movies, packed enough snacks to feed three families and hit the road to Green Bay, WI.  Why?  Because my little brother was getting married :)

My two big boys were commissioned to be ring bearers and they were SO excited to be in Uncle Adam's wedding.  We talked about it, bought matching outfits, shopped for "fancy" shoes, talked about it some more.  They couldn't wait!

And they did awesome!  They carried out their ring bearer duties with keen attention and precision.  Well, Carter had his grumpy pants on tight that day, but even so he managed to walk 20 steps down an isle without incident.  That was huge!  The ceremony was beautiful.  The reception was a blast!  All in all the wedding was fantastic.  I'm so proud of my little brother and his new wife Kayla.

But as fun as the wedding was, I will mostly remember that weekend not as the day my little brother got married, but the day my big boys fell in love with Auntie Kayla.  I mean, fell.in.love with her.  She's been dating Adam for several years and it certainly wasn't the first time they'd met her.  But this weekend was different.  Perhaps it was wedding ceremony.  Or the party.  Or the fact that she looked absolutely stunning in her dress.  But my boys were smitten.

After the wedding, we had several hours of down time before the reception,  The baby took a nap, Carter rested on the couch, and Brooks worked diligently to make wedding cards for Adam and Kayla.  He carefully folded the paper, wrote out the words and drew them pictures.  At the reception, he kept asking to give them their cards.  It was such a busy day and they were always surrounded by people that I even suggested that Brooks just drop them in the card basket on the gift table.  But he was insistent.  So we weaved through a sea of people, found the happy couple and gave them their cards.

Several times throughout the night, he found Adam & Kayla and gave them hugs.  And each time they were so gracious and took the time to talk with him.  Then the best thing happened during the dance ... Brooks got to dance with Auntie Kayla!!  He loved the dancing anyway, but with Auntie Kayla??  That kid was on cloud 9!

We danced for quite a while, but when it was sufficiently past their bedtime and Benny was running on fumes, we loaded up and headed back to Grandma & Papa's house for the night.  Carter was tired beyond words, but as I was tucking him into bed, we had this conversation.

Carter:  Mama, I want the sheet over my head.

Me: Over your head?

Carter: Yeah, like this.  (he proceeds to put the sheet over the back part of his head)

Me:  Why do you want your sheet like that?

Carter:  Because I want to be like Auntie Kayla.

Me: ??

Carter:  Auntie Kayla had that thing on her head (a veil) and I want to be like her.

I couldn't help but laugh.  And sure enough, he slept all night long with his bed sheet "veil" on his head.

Then he started talking about his birthday, because, you know, why wouldn't you discuss your September birthday at 10:00 at night??  He says to Chris:

Carter:  Daddy, do you know what I want to do for my birthday?  I want to go to Thunder Road and ride the go-karts.  And you know who I want to come with me?

Chris:  Who?

Carter:  I want you to come.  And Grandma Marty.  And Papa Dave.  And Auntie Kayla.  And ........ who's the guy that goes with Auntie Kayla??

Chris:  Uncle Adam?

Carter: Yeah, Uncle Adam.  He can come too.

We laughed.  Oh, did we laugh.  So now my brother is no longer Uncle Adam, he is "the guy that goes with Auntie Kayla" :)

(Note: In an attempt to be more "unplugged" at the wedding, I didn't take a lot of pictures.  I kinda wish I had, but I was also glad to be able to enjoy the people I was with that day without sticking my nose behind a camera or phone.  All their wedding photos are loaded here.)

What a difference a year makes

Ah, one year ago.  One year ago I woke up 40 weeks and 1 day pregnant, big as a house, in a ton of pain from a delightful case of shingles and fully convinced I was going to be pregnant for at least another week.  And one year ago, I fell asleep in my own bed with a dark haired, squeaky, beautiful baby boy snuggled next to me.  What a difference a day makes.

And what a difference a year makes!  I know everyone says this on their baby's first birthday, but seriously, I can't believe it's been a whole year!  It seems like just a few months ago Bennett was born.  And yet, I feel like he's been a part of our family forever.

Fitting right in!

But I can't imagine our family without him.  God knew we needed him in our family.  When our third boy was born, I really had no idea how he would fit into our family.  What was his role?  His personality?  But he fits perfect.

Over the last 12 months, we've had the most amazing privilege of getting to know Bennett Lee.  He loves to smile and laugh and make people around him smile and laugh.  He's the comic relief in our family and he rarely has a grumpy day.  He has definite opinions about certain things, but is mostly laid back and just rolls with the punches around here.  He's a great sleeper but a horrible snuggler and prefers to have his own space.  And we recently learned that he likes cake, but not frosting :)

And since I'm the one who gets him dressed in the morning, he's a Packer fan too :)

It's been so fun celebrating our smiley boy this weekend with friends and family.  I'm a little sad that he's not my baby anymore, but really excited to watch him grow and learn over the next year.  1 year olds are so much fun!!

Benny's First Christmas

If I had to sum up this year's Christmas in one word it would be this: Simplicity.  We had a beautifully, delightfully simple Christmas.  In the past we've traveled to visit family for Christmas.  And although we love to see family, we decided to stay home this year (as we have the past few years) and start developing our own little family's traditions.  And boy did we have fun.

We played in the snow, baked cookies, saw the Western Mall Christmas light show (several times), drove through Falls Park, made paper chains to decorate the doorway, ate all the cookies, listened to lots and lots of Christmas music, decorated our house and the best part .... we did it all in our own timeline.  Nothing was forced or rushed or mandatory.  If I'm honest, I do sometimes feel the social pressure to "do" Christmas a certain way.  To send out cards, to buy expensive gifts and to move a shelved elf around every day.  But we didn't.  Not that those things are bad (I love Christmas cards!!), we just decided to keep it simple.  And it was a perfect way to celebrate Bennett's first Christmas!!

Every year growing up, we had a real Christmas tree.  Some years we'd hunt it down in the woods.  Other years we'd go across the street and buy it from the tree lot.  But it was real.  Always real.

Every year since we've been married, we've had a fake tree.  I bought it in college and each year either due to lack of funds or lack of space, we kept putting up that same 6' fake tree.  I pleaded my case to buy a real tree this year, but with a crawling baby who loves to put everything in his mouth (ie. pine needles) we decided once again to put up our trusty fake tree.  With lots of help, of course.

Carter helped haul lights!

Opening their new tree ornaments from Grandma Marty and Papa Dave

Benny approves of the tree :)

this picture would be very conflicting if we actually cared about college football

I don't think any one thing could be more work than mixing, rolling, cutting, baking, frosting and then decorating cut-out cookies.  (sigh)  But it just wouldn't be Christmas without them.

"Hey!  Where's the frosting??"

One of my favorite new traditions?  Matching Christmas jammies for the boys.  I know they won't let me dress them all matchy matchy forever, so I am going to take full advantage of it while I can!

And it was our very own Christmas miracle that all three boys looked at the camera ... at the same time ... without any weird faces.  For real, that never happens. 

I love having kids at Christmas time.  Well, I love them all the time, but it's especially fun at Christmas.  As an adult, Christmas is nice.  You decorate, you exchange gifts and it's, well, it's nice.  But with kids, Christmas is magical!  And we celebrate everything!  

I wish I would have videotaped Carter opening presents.  He was literally bouncing all over the living room.  And when he opened the bookmark that Brooks bought for him, he cheered "Oh wow!!  Oh wow!!  I will put it in my very favorite book!!!"

Seriously.  It was a bookmark.  But to Carter it was the best thing ever since it was his.

Bennett's reaction to receiving clothes for Christmas.  Sorry kiddo, we'll do better next year.

paper eater

Benny sitting like such a big boy in his new chair from Grandma Gale

I wish our families lived closer so we could celebrate with them, but we've been so so so blessed to be adopted into the Gale family here.  We spent Christmas Eve with them attending church and then going out to eat.  And we spent Christmas afternoon with them as well, eating lots of food, playing games and just spending time with amazing friends we get to call family!