So Happy Together

I snapped a couple of pictures of the three kids together the other day. You know you're siblings when you can start giggling uncontrollably over nothing. I adore their little smiles!

Moonlighting

It's almost mid-night and I am awake with a fussy baby, navigating the mouse and typing with my left hand and wishing I didn't leave my glasses on my side table upstairs so I could actually see what I'm doing without squinting. Joseph is definitely the biggest night owl out of all three of our babies. Tonight he is content to lay on his tummy across my arm as I rock him and type.

This first month with him has been a crazy blur of sleepless nights and busy days keeping house and occupying the children. The words "Carry on, carry on, carry on!" from a church hymn keep echoing in my head. I've come to accept the fact that I probably won't sleep between the hours of 11:00pm and 3:00am and it's made a big difference. Instead of being grumpy and irritable as I try hopelessly to get him to sleep, I am trying to enjoy my time with him more.  Tonight I snapped a few pictures with the webcam just so I wouldn't forget these nights that we get to spend together. As I looked at the pictures and saw his chubby cheeks I actually saw some Hudkins in him! He's almost got the same big cheeks that I did as a baby. That made me happy.

And so I will continue to press on, night after night, enjoying the extra cuddles and nursing sessions and reminding myself that one day I will miss this! Each morning I will try to wake up and make each day come alive instead of just living each day. I do love this little boy of mine. I guess night-time is just our special time to spend together, and it's nice to be needed.

Rockin' Around

Yesterday my camera card went missing for a little while after I had imported my pictures to the computer. The only thing I could think of was that Hyrum or Camilla pulled it out and put it somewhere. In desperation I began questioning them, trying to get them to understand what I was looking for. 

 

"Hyrum, Do you know where Mommy's memory card is?"

 "Card" 

"Did you pull that little piece out of the computer?"

 "Pee-s" 

"Where did you put it?"

 "Pu-it". 

I give up. 

"Camilla, did you pull my memory card out of the computer?"

 "Cards don't go in the computer, Mom" she responds matter-of-factly. 

I pull up a picture of it on Google and ask the kids again. Camilla stares at the computer screen with a blank stare and Hyrum has already taken off to use a Christmas stocking as a hockey stick (he puts it on his foot and then kicks the ball around). So we start tidying the toys and looking in all the nooks and crannies. I tell Camilla that if she finds my camera card I'll give her a mint (she'll do anything for a mint). Eventually, after a lot of cleaning up she claims she has found it and brings me... a brush for her doll. It was a nice try anyway. We say a little prayer and keep looking, but have no luck. Finally bed time rolls around and my two tired kiddos make their way upstairs for stories.

At 3:00am while nursing Joseph in the big green chair, I suddenly remembered where my memory card was! Sure enough the next morning I moved some papers off the top of the printer and found it underneath! I had taken it out of the computer earlier so it wouldn't get into little hands and get lost. How ironic. 

I've been trying to do one "Christmas-ey" thing a day with the kiddos. We've decorated snowmen and Christmas trees, baked cookies, talked about the Nativity and true meaning of Christmas, and drank lots of hot chocolate. Today we spent the late afternoon dressed up as reindeer and rocking around the tree to Christmas music. It was pretty funny to watch the kids dance. When I told them to "boogie" they would wiggle their little bodies and flail their arms around. It was so great to giggle with them!

Joe enjoys sitting by the tree and looking at the lights in the evening. Camilla will often come up to him, give him a gentle kiss and say, "Hi Handsome" in a nice high motherly voice. He is definitely handsome. His cheeks get chubbier every day and he's starting to get a little double chin. At his last check-up on Monday he weighed 9 lbs 3 oz. I Can't believe he is going to be a whole month old soon! Time goes way too quickly!

Mamma's Barber Shop

I've been wanting to trim Hyrum's hair for weeks, but just haven't gotten around to it for a while. This morning I had a few minutes where Joseph played happily in his bouncer and held his big sisters finger so I could finally give Hyrum the trim he's needed for so long. The poor kid gets such a rats nest in the back when he sleeps and says "ouch" when I brush it out each morning.  It was time to fix that.

 Before, During (thanks Camilla), After

If I started charging my boys for haircuts I'd definitely make some good money. Why, just last night I gave Mr. Stannix a hair cut, but he pays me in kisses. On the flip-side, we're saving A LOT of money this way! Thanks to my high-school Cosmo teacher and my Mum for sharing their mad skills.

I will miss those curly blonde locks of his!

A KD Kind of Day

Last night Joseph and I had our regular bed-time battle. Mr. Stannix and I stayed up late-ish watching the new Batman movie together for date night (after a family trip to Wal-mart of course). Just when we were ready for lights out Joseph started to fuss. Like most of the nights previous I sat up nursing, shh-ing, rocking, walking around, laying on the couch and crying tears of frustration and fatigue. Finally, on the couch in the living room with the dim light of streetlights peeking through the curtains, he decided to give in and flash me those sleepy-time smiles I adore so much. I wiped the last of the tears off my cheeks and smiled right back before making my way to bed. He sure knows how to melt my heart. Alas, the clock read 2:30am and I was exhausted!

Today we've been taking it slow. I answered the door in my jammies this morning (sold our old computer desk) and we managed to make it outside to play before lunch. It's a Kraft Dinner kind of day around here. In my opinion it tastes better when eaten with a fork and topped with a bit of ketchup, but that's just me. The kiddies gobbled it up and then I tucked them in for naps. Hyrum played with his "mo bike" for about 5 minutes before crashing. Camilla poked herself in the eye and pouted while falling asleep. Poor girl. Now I'm off to snooze until Mr. Stannix returns from studying and writing cases.

Morning Smooching

Have I ever told you how much I love smooching this chubby-cheeked, 

boogery-nosed boy first thing in the morning?

Because I do.

Like, a lot.

Sipping Hot Chocolate

After watching "Little Bear" for the second time this morning I decided it was time to get the kids outside to have some fun. They were both still in their jammies, so we found some socks and suited up. Snow pants, boots, mitts, jackets, and a warm hat sometimes take a while to put on, especially when you have a baby snuggled on your chest in a carrier. After the children were dressed up nice and warm and their snow pants were tucked over their boots it was time for me to get some winter gear on. I threw on my favorite fleece pull over. It belongs to Mr. Stannix and was the perfect size to fit over both me and Joe. Next I put on a windbreaker, leaving it unzipped because of the baby on my front. I finished off by carefully stepping into my gigantic winter boots and pulling on mittens. We were finally ready.

The kids had a blast outside! Joe slept safe and snug under my fleece jacket. I looked ridiculous with his toque sticking out the top, but I knew my children wouldn't mind. I shoveled the walks while they built castles, licked icicles, made snow angels and navigated their way through the snow banks. Mr. Stannix assured me he would shovel when he got home, but I know that guy has to study like crazy for his exam next Friday so I  thought I would help him out a bit. It felt good to get some exercise to be honest. 

After I finished shoveling we were all pretty rosy-cheeked. I asked the children if they were ready to go in and neither of them were. We played in the snow for a few more minutes and then made our way to the house.

I spent the rest of my morning sipping hot chocolate with my littles. I loved watching Hyrum grasp his mug with his chubby little hands. That boy is a good eater and it shows. He's started talking so much and will repeat the last word of almost every sentence I say. My favorite was when he was running around this morning and yelling, "Mun Mun Mun!!" I also love when he says sorry, it's the cutest little "Or-wee" I ever did hear. He's also started saying his name. At the table he will point to his hair and say, "Hum heh". Then he will point to my hair and say, "Mum heh". Love that kid.

I listened to Camilla's stories which she told while drawing and sipping at her hot chocolate. She's talented like that. I love her imagination to no end.

Joseph is still snoozing, so I may or may not do up the dishes from dinner yesterday. Or I may just join my children in their naps this afternoon because I think my sleep added up to a whole three hours last night. Joe still has his days and nights mixed up... 

Praying for Joy

I started my day today waking up in the wrong bed. All of the kids seem to have had a rough night and my body was feeling it. Joe was up more than he should have been and on one occasion I woke up feeling a lump sleeping at the end of our bed. It was Camilla and she soon joined me under the covers, nice and warm. In the early hours of the morning Joe woke up for the 1236th time. I gave up with the whole chair and crib thing and fell asleep nursing him in Camilla's bed. I love that bed. I woke up to the sound of Mr. Stannix finishing up his shower and Hyrum breathing in my ear. It took me a while to get going today and completely open my eyes.

For the past couple of days I have been praying for Joy and it has been answered ten times over. I can't even describe the feeling that I have. It could just be that it's the feeling that always surrounds the Christmas season, or the fact that my post pregnancy hormones may be shifting back to "normal", but I like to think that Heavenly Father is answering my prayers.

Because of this prayer I felt Joy instead of annoyance at my little boy who knocked over the wooden Nativity and used the kneeling Mary as a hockey stick for the day because of the shape. I love how that boy turns anything that potentially looks like a hockey stick into a hockey stick. He is going to love his Christmas present this year!

Because of this prayer I felt an overwhelming sense of Joy and love as I cradled my 8lbs 14oz Baby Joe in my arms, kissed his head and watched him sleep. He's gained some good weight over the last few weeks and I am so glad that my body is able to give him what he needs to grow.

Because of this prayer I felt Joy as I watched Camilla be a big sister and put her brother's socks on this morning before we left the house. She's like three going on five. I also loved seeing the big smile on her face as we left the Library this morning and she exclaimed, "This is the best day EVER!".

Because of this prayer I have been able to laugh and giggle more with my children as we go about our every day activities. I love talking with them and watching them explore the world around them.  I almost teared up today just watching Hyrum play quietly at my feet as I nursed Joseph. I love my kids.

And now as I finish typing, the smell of fresh cinnamon buns fills my home and I know the smell will shortly make it's way upstairs and wake my children. They have been peacefully sleeping as the big snowflakes gently fall to the ground outside their window. I am excited to share in their joy as we devour fresh cinnamon buns smothered in butter together. Nothing beats the cold of winter like yummy baking!

Nap Time

It's nap time here at the Stannix's which means that I get to catch up on my blogging while eating a Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut bar. I picked up four of them before Joe was born to help with the third day blues and am just finishing the fourth off now.The adjustment to three kids three and under has been a lot better than I had anticipated it. We've fallen into a pretty good routine, everyone is happy, and life is good. I owe a lot of it to awesome sisters in the ward and friends who have brought us meals and offered to help watch my kids.

Mr. Stannix is back to studying for his exam this month, so story reading and bed time has again become a one woman job for the next little while. Now when we go up to bed I hear, "aw, I want Daddy though". Good to know they love their Daddy! Last night I had to laugh as we all sat on Camilla's bed. I was attempting to nurse a fussy Joe, Camilla was snuggled into my arm to see the story and Hyrum was turning on the bed room light, jumping on the bed, and racing around the room. There was a lot of pausing for the fussy baby and a lot of telling Hyrum to stop jumping on the bed. Laughter was the only thing that kept me sain. Eventually Camilla ended up holding the book so I could properly nurse Joe and grab Hyrum before he fell off the bed. It was quite the scene. I am super proud of them both though, they go to bed so well.  Kisses and lights out and I usually don't hear a peep until morning time.

This morning I did our big grocery run will all three kids in tow. It went smoother than I was imagining it. I love our little grocery store and the free cookies they give the kids so I can shop with relative peace and quiet. Camilla's only request was a Yop from the dairy aisle. She chatted it up with everyone and told them all about her puppy tucked under her arm. I love the small town feel of our grocery store and how all of the ladies at the check out know us and remember Camilla.  They all love talking to her and hearing her stories. I'm already looking forward to the end of winter though so I don't have to freeze my fingers off buckling in three kids.

Joe and I have spent a lot of time together. Yesterday his happy place was on my chest in the baby carrier bouncing, swaying or getting his bum patted. He spent a lot of time there as I kept house and did laundry and other mom-like things. Today has been much the same. He likes to be snuggled close. I'll take all the snuggling I can get though! Now I'm off to do some Christmas prep and to throw the cloth diapers in the dryer. So excited to start Christmas baking with the kids this week!

Deck the Halls

Tonight we decorated for Christmas. It's become tradition to set up the tree after the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. Since we were driving back from visiting friends in Innisfail, we didn't have time to catch the devotional, so we just set up the tree. We plan to watch it before Christmas, but after Mr. Stannix has finished studying for his exam this month. The children were excited to decorate the tree and tried to help where they could. Mr. Stannix strung and restrung the lights (we'll double check that they work before we put them up next year). We took a break half way through and had some more birthday cake and ice cream for a snack. It's so awesome to be all together and enjoying this time of year. 

We really only decorated the top half of the tree. Hyrum loves my big red Christmas balls and throws them across the room while yelling, "Hah-ee! GOAL!". They are definitely a little more fragile than your typical hockey puck. The kids really liked being able to help decorate the tree.

As we decorated and handed them decorations I couldn't help but reminisce. This tree is still the tree that I grew up with. I remember it being much bigger when I was little though. Even Mr. Stannix asked where the top piece was when we were setting it up. Nope, it really is just that short. While the kids placed the decorations on the tree I thought about how my dad was the one who would hand out the decorations when I was younger. Most of them consisted of these little red wooden men/rocking horse ornaments, and we always loaded it with tinsel! Ah, good memories.  This year Mr. Stannix and I are holding our first Christmas on our own. We are making memories with our kids like the ones I have of growing up. I am looking forward to Christmas day with presents beneath our half decorated tree and laughter filling our living room.