Some Favorites

Here are a few of my favorite things lately...

I love my little list maker. Camilla makes herself check lists and reminders for everything! When she put up a reminder to turn off her light, it made me laugh. While I tucked her in that night she told me all about the check list she was already working up for the next day in her head. She is a super organized little girly.

I have finally started cloth diapering again. I love a puffy, cloth diapered baby tush.

 

When Daddy gets home everyone smothers him in hugs and kisses. After a mini wrestling match with the older three, he usually snuggles up with Finley while I finish up dinner. It's pretty much the sweetest thing.

 

 Warm bread and butter is definitely a favorite around here!

I am also loving the little bit of free time I get to make cozy headbands.

Little Explorers

 Yesterday afternoon the blue sky and sunshine begged us to go outside. I bundled up Finley and stuck him in the wrap in anticipation of a nice long walk with the littles. When Joseph made his way downstairs after his nap I dressed him in his snow gear and we joined the older two outside. Before making our way to the trail we hung up our homemade bird feeders on the front tree. 

 Camilla did up some lovely hearts.

 Hyrum made some pointy stars.

 They look super cute on our tree!

 As we walked towards the walking trail I reminded myself to give the kids some space and let them explore and enjoy. Camilla found a stick when we arrived at the walking trail and Joseph always took up the tail end.

 Hyrum intently studied every puddle and piece of ice he saw in his travels. It was pretty cute watching him get his face nice and close to check everything out.

 Finley slept through it all, but enjoyed the fresh air I'm sure.

We had a lot of fun and the littles burned a lot of stored up energy.

 

The walk home took twice as long and I was constantly calling out to Joseph who would stop and examine his surroundings quite frequently. I had to remind myself at least 100 times to let him enjoy and take it slow. We really had no reason to rush home, except that Hyrum really had to pee!

Quiet and Still

It's been a pretty chill morning around here. I freshened up the bedrooms by changing the sheets on the beds. As the sun came up over the rooftops I rocked my sleeping baby and chatted with Camilla in her room. I spent a good hour just sitting there, enjoying the children and the warmth of the sun on my face. While Finley was asleep I trimmed his little finger nails. I loved holding his tiny hands in mine, admiring their shape and wrinkles, all while Camilla chatted away. The other day we had a pretty funny conversation that went something like this.

Me: Don’t put things in your ears please!!

Kids: Why?

Me: Because it will hurt them.

Camilla: But when Jesus comes he’ll bless us, and we’ll get better. I learned that.

Me: Yes. But until then, your ears will really hurt.

After Finley woke up we had some tummy time. Now I'm waiting on the bagels to finish rising before I throw them in the oven. They should make it out just in time for lunch! I just had to take a few minutes to blog and remember how quiet and still this morning was. I love when our mornings are slow and easy and I can really enjoy my littles.

Love Love Love

"Mom, I just love, love, LOVE Finley. I want to give him a knock over hug I just love him so much!"

My Favorite Time

It's my favorite time of day. Just thought I'd share a couple of photos before I go and play with my two big kids.

Help Yourself

 If the way my hair looks right now is any indication of how our day was, I'd say it was CA-RAZY! My morning began with a speedy clean of the house since we were having friends over to play. In between cleaning and feeding my other children who seem to be bottomless pits these days, I did get to enjoy some baby snuggles.

 Photo courtesy of Camilla.

Joseph is back to his regular shenanigans. He can open the fridge now and does so quite frequently throughout the day looking for something to eat. Today while I was nursing he asked super politely for "Appo juice, peeeeeees". I asked him to wait just a second and then came in to him drinking right from the carton. "Oh, You're too busy feeding my little brother? No worries. I'll just help myself thanks." He shot me the cutest little grin after I caught him. I couldn't even be mad. He's one resourceful little dude.

Candid Camera

I think it's safe to say that Joseph is feeling much better!

He's back to busting dance moves in the kitchen.

And his pre-bath shenanigans.

One Month

 Our little Finley is one month old already! Today we went to see our midwife for a checkup and Finley is 9lbs 9oz and approximately 22 inches long. He is such a content baby and hardly ever fusses. He still sleeps a lot during the day and does two hour stretches at night give or take a half hour. He is totally okay with all of the noise in our crazy house and usually sleeps through everything. His eyes are a gorgeous blue just like the older three and he has the tiniest little bit of hair. He has started grabbing onto my shirt or his soother as he falls asleep. The poor guy gets the hiccups a thousand times a day, but deals with them pretty well.  He is a pretty happy baby and we sure do love him!

Sunny Afternoons

Oh man, today started out rough. I spent most of my night awake with Joe who is fighting with sores in his mouth. After dealing with the two boys all night I was one tired mamma. The whining continued into the morning and my patience was wearing thin. After much crying for all of us, we had some early naps. Camilla was a huge help with Finley while I consoled Joe. Her favorite saying is, "No job is too big, no baby too small!" She says it in her superhero voice and it cracks me up every time! At lunch in her prayer she said, "Thank you for Finley. Thank you for Finley making it safe outta Mommy's tummy." Super funny.

After lunch we all went outside for some sunshine, fresh air, and fun! While the older two were getting the sled ready to go, Joseph pulled his car out of the garage. Silly boy, it's not Summer time yet!

It was fun to get out with all four of the littles for the afternoon. I needed to feel the sun on my face and breath some fresh air. It was a great turn around to the day we were having! We laughed and played in the snow for a long time. I think we went around the block about three times. Maybe next time I will venture somewhere else with the toboggan. 

I love the way Camilla makes her own fun. "Pull us faster, Mom! Wahooo!!" It was hilarious. Then both of the boys got into it and soon we were all laughing. Finley slept the whole time we were out, but I'm sure the fresh air did him good too!

The rest of our afternoon was pretty chill. Camilla did some reading and spelling in her workbook. School hasn't been a big priority in our lives at the moment. I'm not feeling too badly though because she's plowed through her kindergarten book and is working through a grade one book now. We also learn throughout the day as we play and talk. After dinner we made a quick trip to London Drugs to get my laptop fixed again. Joseph played with my car keys while I chatted with the tech, and I didn't notice they were missing until we made our way out to the parking lot. When we went back in to look the older two took off thinking they knew where we were going. The tech guy told me where he saw Joseph hide the keys (in a pocket in the stroller) and I thanked him and went on my way. Camilla then came running back telling me Hyrum was lost. I knew he wasn't far, but for the first time in my life I was paged to customer service for my lost child. "Attention customers, could Hyrum's mom please come to the customer service desk". I left embarrassed and in a hurry, but it was bound to happen one day right?!

Super Dad

I got a new calling at church today. This guy held down the fort and successfully got all four kids to bed while I was playing piano for the choir! He's a pretty super dad!