Saturday Mornings

Sometimes our Saturday mornings are nice and slow. And I like that. Joseph was up long before anyone else. So early in fact, that we made him go back to bed. An hour later both the boys snuck down for cartoons on the iPad. Camilla joined them soon after and poured everyone some cereal for breakfast. I listened from the bedroom while I nursed and snuggled Finley. Once we were done I changed Joseph's bum and then he ran around in only a diaper for a little while. I love Saturday mornings.

Finley's Friday Faces

Swimming Lessons

 Camilla and Hyrum have started another round of swimming lessons. It was kind of a spontaneous decision to help us get out of the house a bit more, so we were stuck with 5:00pm lesson times. It worked out that I was able to get them both in classes around similar times and we only end up being at the pool for just over an hour total. 

 Hyrum is in a cute little class of Sea Otters and is doing so well. He was a little unsure the first day since he was on his own and not with his sister this time. But now he is the first to volunteer for things and is even getting his face in the water more!

 

Camilla is in Salamanders and loves it! She is struggling a bit in the deeper pool and we had a few tears today after a front glide went wrong, but she is learning and loving it! 

 

As for Mr. Joseph, this is how we make it through our hour on the pool deck...

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!

Artsy Fartsy

This little guy is quite the artist lately. Anything that keeps him busy for more than five minutes is pretty much the best thing ever!

Lovely Weather

...For a sleigh ride together with you!

Be of Good Cheer

My mind has been filled with so many thoughts and different emotions this week. I have been dying to sit and write and felt inspired to share a few thoughts here on the blog. It seems that everytime I feel inspired to write something I can't find the time! As this new year has begun I have struggled to set goals and feel joy as I fight with the baby blues and live off little or no sleep. I have finally decided that my theme for this year is to "Be of Good Cheer". I searched pinterest for a cute little printable and put it up in the house where I will see it often. As I've been reading talks and studying scriptures related to this theme I have totally been inspired and motivated to live my theme more fully this year.

I have been thinking a lot lately about our angel baby and the heartache and sorrow I was feeling at this time last year. I felt that this trial was some form of punishment and that I maybe didn't deserve to have another child. It took me a long time to overcome these feelings and to realize that a loving Heavenly Father would never do such things. I am so grateful for the things I learned from priesthood blessings and for the strength I was given to press forward each day with hope and faith. As I read through some of my old journal entries I was grateful for the perspective I gained and the way my relationship with the Savior has deepened.

The other night while doing dishes I listened to this really great talk from general conference and loved what he had to say about trials. One thing that stuck out to me was when we said, “often trials and tribulations are allowed to come into your life because of what you are doing right”. I feel like if I approached my trials with this perspective, it would be easier to cheerfully endure them. It also made me think of past trials and realize that they came into my life as an opportunity to grow and stretch.

A few days ago I stumbled across a really good talk by Neal A. Maxwell and I loved the paragraph where he said, "Then the perceptive among us voted not secretly, but audibly—by shouting for joy! Let us not go back on those feelings now—for we saw more clearly then what we are experiencing now! May God help us to be of good cheer, for this is the forerunner feeling which precedes that glorious condition when our joy will be full!" It might be easier to be cheerful each day when we remember that we shouted for joy at this opportunity to live on the earth and have these experiences.

I love love the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 78:18 which reads "Be of good cheer, for I will lead you along". It really gives me comfort to know that an all knowing, loving Father in Heaven is in control.

Aside from enduring trials with cheer, I mostly picked this theme to help our home be a better place. It is so hard for me to greet my children cheerfully in the morning when I've gone to bed too late or am running on little sleep. But I want to choose to greet them each morning with a smile and a hug. I want them to remember a cheerful mommy, not a grumpy one. I want to learn to smile when bowls of cereal are accidentally dumped on the floor, or when the children are learning to work out their differences. I want to laugh more this year and to feel the joy that comes as we spend time with family and get a glimpse into eternity.

I came across this awesome quote the other day by William Morris and fell in love with it. I think it will also be paired with my theme. Instead of just floating through life day after day I want to live each day with this quote in the back of my mind. I want to take interest in all of the details of my day. I want to remember the way I feel when I look at the pink sky each morning as the sun comes up. I want to instill in my memory the feeling of soft baby hands on my face or chubby toddler hands holding onto my own hands. I want to remember the sweet way that Hyrum smiles when he's genuinely happy about something. I want to remember Camilla's spontaneous hugs and the way they fill me up with love. And I want to remember the way Mr. Stannix makes me feel so special each and every day. I know that as I acknowledge these blessings in my life each day I will be able to "Be of Good Cheer" as I live each day this year! It's going to be a good one!

Snow-bots

We woke up today to beautiful weather! The littles and I ran an errand bright and early and I was surprised at how warm it was. I even let Finley grab some fresh air as I transferred him from his carseat to the baby carrier. When we got home the kids ran in to get their snow gear on. They spent the rest of the morning and some of the early afternoon in the backyard making "snow-bots". The snow was perfect for packing and building things. After two days of being sick, the fresh air was much needed!

As I was watching them today I was reminded of a favorite video.  It starts out with the quote "Moments are the molecules that make up eternity". I had some of those moments today. Moments that put things into perspective and filled me with joy. I experienced this joy when Joseph grabbed my hand with his sticky little hands and led me away from the dishes to build towers with him downstairs. I was filled with this joy when we began dancing spontaneously in the kitchen after our hot chocolate, laughing out loud as we spun and spun until we were almost sick. I felt overcome with love and joy when Camilla raced up behind me at the kitchen sink and wrapped her arms around my waist for a hug. I enjoyed another one of these moments when Joseph began cheering me on as I rolled his chunk of play dough into a worm. "Go Mommy! Go Mommy!" And I enjoyed a final special moment when Hyrum said, "I love you, Mom!" at bedtime tonight before I did. 

 

I finished off my day overcome with gratitude for my children and the sweet little moments we get to share together no matter how chaotic the day. Being a Mom is definitely one of the most important things I could be doing right now.

Don't Worry Be Happy

After spending all night awake with a hungry baby and a puker it's been a pretty long day. I started feeling pretty frustrated with life around 3:00am and had a nice little pity party in my rocking chair. I figured there was no way I could handle four kids the next day, my baby wouldn't sleep, and I was so tired I could barely function. I knew if I called for help from Mr. Stannix he would happily sacrifice some sleep, but I also knew that he needed his sleep so that he could work hard for us the next day at work. Just after I got Finley to sleep, Hyrum snuck in to inform me he had puked all over himself and his blankets. I think I finally crawled into my bed around 5:00am, just as Mr. Stannix got up to start his morning routine. I slept for about an hour until Joseph made his way to my bedside and begged for "bepest". I sent him downstairs and Daddy took care of his hungry belly. When he was full and Daddy had left for the day, he brought the iPad up and snuggled into bed with me. I spent the next few hours nodding in and out of sleep until Finley needed to be fed again. 

Once we finally got up and got dressed, I spent the rest of my day alternating between nursing sessions and holding the puke bucket while I comforted Mr. H. He slept most of the day away in his bed when he wasn't throwing up. When Fin was asleep I tried my hardest to get things done in the kitchen, but Joseph was pretty much attached to my pocket or leg whining all day long. It was rough. We were all very glad when Daddy came home! I wouldn't have made it if it weren't for Camilla's help and Finley's baby smiles.

Joe's running a temp now too, so it looks like round two tonight!

Little Man

Our little man is growing far too fast for my liking! He is hardly squeezing into his newborn clothes these days. I try to take at least one picture of him each day just to document his growth and change. At this age they grow every day it seems and I don't want to miss a moment! He's been spending a bit more time awake and loves when his siblings crowd around him and fight for his attention. Most of the time though, he just sleeps. I suppose all of that growing tuckers him out a bit!