Brother

As I mentioned in my previous post, we tried to get a really cute picture of Tanner and Ella together, but it just didn't happen.  Thanks to my friend Kat, she came over again four days ago and tried again.  She got this shot and I love it.  

Ella is 1 month old today!

In some ways, I can't believe it's already been a month.  In other ways, it feels like she's been around for a long time and I can't believe it's ONLY been a month!

Eating:  I'm nursing (almost) exclusively.  I say "almost" because once a week or so, I may venture out for an hour or two running errands without her and she'll get an ounce or two of formula (because I haven't started pumping yet).  And she LOVES to eat!  I seriously feel like I am nursing all day/night long!

Sleeping:  She doesn't have any kind of routine yet, but the last couple days she has taken at least 1 nap during the day that is at least 2-3 hours long, so that has been nice.  The nights are a blur, but she still wakes up several times - at least 3 or so, to eat.  Luckily, after she eats, she'll usually go right back to sleep.  So, so grateful for that!

Loves:  To eat and  be held!

I absolutely love this neonatal/fetus stage.  Love, love, love it!  The way she just curls up in my arms and is so tiny and just fits into me.  I love when she falls asleep in my arms.  I love her limp little body that I can carry with one arm.  Obviously, this is a tough stage too because they don't sleep through the night and don't have any schedule.  I'm scared to leave the house because I never know when she's going to get hungry, etc.  So, as sad as I will be to watch her get bigger, it will be nice to get into a routine and to get longer stretches of sleep at night.  Especially since I go back to work a week from tomorrow......  :(

Photo Shoot #2

Okay, so technically this was Photo Shoot #1 at 4 days old, but I just got the disc yesterday, so even though it was taken 4 days earlier than the other one, I'm posting a few of them now.

 We even got her smiling!

Photo Shoot

Little Ella Grace had two newborn photo shoots.  One at 4 days old and one at 8 days old.  I haven't gotten back all the pics from the first photo shoot, but here are several from the one at 8 days old.

So, I saw this super cute picture on Pinterest of this naked little newborn curled up in a ball next to the bare tummy of the pre-school aged big brother.  So, I asked my friend Kat (the photographer) if we could try and do it.  It was hilarious - Tanner laid down, but then Ella tried to nurse his arm (which totally grossed him out!) and then he was scared to death that she might poop/pee on him, so anyway, long story short, it was a disaster.  Instead of naked baby lying down next to brother, the best we got was diapered baby sitting up with brother.  Oh well!

Ella hasn't been blessed yet (at church - something we traditionally do in our church is to give each newborn baby a blessing), but this will be the dress she will wear.  It is the same dress that both Lacey and Riley wore.

So grateful I have these wonderful pictures to remember her at this precious, fleeting age.  Thanks, Kat!!

Happy V-Day!

Love waking up to this face....

Speaking of waking up.... I got up early this morning (which, for the record, is a major sacrifice considering the fact that my baby is only 20 days old, so sleep is a high commodity around here!) and made pink heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast and heart-shaped PB and J sandwiches for school lunches.

Tanner showing off his V-day loot from Pre-K.  Unfortunately, I didn't take this picture BEFORE T discovered a blue Airhead :)

Lacey with her cards from Kindergarten

The dinner table, which Lacey helped decorate.  For dinner, we made homemade pizza :)

My 4 Valentines... (notice the white stick coming out of Riley's mouth - the only way I could get her to be in this picture!)

Cupid's delivery to the kids....

Discovering their baskets

Our attempt at getting a picture with all 4 kids and their baskets

You probably have to know my T to fully appreciate this Valentine.  This was addressed (on the other side) to "Mom and Dad".  He explained to me that the blue line on this valentine was "a map to Antarctica."  When I asked why a map to Antarctica was on the valentine, he responds, rather diplomatically, "Because I want to go to Antarctica.  And this way, when we go, we can bring this to show us the way in case we get lost."  Now, that makes perfect sense!  And I chalk this up to being one of my favorite Valentines ever!

And now I will get to go to sleep to this face.  My favorite part of V-day?  Holding my littlest Valentine.  So in love with her.

Thanks, Mom!

Hammy and Lacey

T-man

Riley Jane

Baby Ella Grace

On Sunday, I said a tearful goodbye to my sweet mother, who spent the last 2 1/2 weeks here helping me adjust to being a mother of four.  Half of that time ended up being pre-baby, but it all worked out.  Here is what my mom did:  She watched the kids while I was in the hospital NOT having the baby (the first time around) and while I WAS having the baby (the second time around).  She did all my laundry and all of our dishes the entire time she was here.  She cleaned my windows, vacuumed, dusted, cleaned bathrooms, held babies, changed diapers and kept me company.  Because she lives in Chicago, I only get to see her a couple times a year.  It's one of the best parts of having a baby - it's a guaranteed visit from my mom :)  But in all seriousness, I am so grateful to have such a wonderful mother.  And so grateful for all she did for me over the past 2+ weeks!

Snowflake Party

As I mentioned previously, Baby Ella was due on Lacey's birthday.  Dilemma.... when to plan the birthday party?  I fully realize that most sane people would skip the big themed party with a bunch of friends.  But Lacey is my social butterfly and has been looking forward to her "Snowflake birthday party" for months.  I just felt like I couldn't tell her no.  And I don't want them to feel like they aren't going to get my time and attention anymore because of the baby.  So.... I found myself hosting a 2 hour birthday bash with 10 five and six year old girls 6 days after coming home from the hospital.

I'm not sure where Lacey got the idea to have a "Snowflake" party, but she thought of that on her own quite a while ago and has never wavered.  I found snowflake invitations I sent out and then I found these edible snowflake decorations at Dylan's candy shop in NYC to decorate her snowflake cake.

I racked my brain trying to come up with "snowflake games."  We ended up playing "Pin the Carrot on the Snowman", and instead of "Hot Potato", we played "Freezing Snowflake" (shown here).  And the one other game we played was "Drop the snowflake in the jar."  I grew up playing "Drop the penny in the jar" so it was a knock off of that.  I found snowflake candies on Amazon, so that is what I used.

After games, all the girls got a "snowflake cupcake" that they got to decorate themselves.

For Lacey's birthday gift, Dave and I gave her this "Snowflake dress" to wear to her party.

Happy Birthday, Lacey bug!  Baby Ella is crying now and I need to sign off and feed her.  But as I write this, I can't help but reflect on the fact that EXACTLY 6 years ago at this time, I was listening to you cry and picking you up to feed you at 1 week old.  And I just can't believe how quickly those 6 years went.  I just want to freeze time and have you be my cute little snowflake princess forever.  Love you a hundred million.