4 year old in the house!

I. CAN'T. BELIEVE. I. HAVE. A. 4. YEAR. OLD!!!!

Could you read the drama emphasis I put on that! 

He has completely passed the toddler stage! This little boy is so smart! We are blown away by his questions! See the end of the post for some the fun, genius, crazy, cute things he says! 

Last year we started a new birthday tradition. We do one act of kindness per year you are celebrating. Bobby and I are not fond of celebrating our birthdays. So much of birthdays are selfish: 

What am I going to get? Let's celebrate me. It's my birthday, we do what I want. 

I don't want to teach my kids that. I want to teach my kids to love others above themselves, I want them to be a light in such a dark world! Acts of kindness are such a great way to show that! Jeremy loves doing them! Here and the 4 he choose this year:

#1

He picked flowers for my nail lady, Ann.

 #2

We went to the donut shop when he woke up.
A man forgot his wallet, so we bought his donut and coffee.

 #3

We baked banana bread for their teachers at church.

 #4

He bought bubbles for his friends. The tag reads,
"Hello, I am doing "Acts of Kindness" for my birthday. This is from Jeremy."
I love his words! 

I love this tradition! I will start it with Capri and Heidi-Rae when they turn 3! 

Out of the mouths of babes: 

• Sissy, do you know how much I love you? As high as the plane fly in the sky.
• Dear God, Thank you for Zia and that she is pretty. Thank you that she got my blanket and sissy's and maybe the new baby if her heart tells her.
• Can you frocking on me? (Frocking means raspberry on his tummy)
• I am a people
• Do you realize mommy has a baby in her belly and we get to keep this one! (To Capri, following the miscarriage, and finding out there was another baby on the way)
• Mommy, I like when you do your make up in the car because then I can see yo in the mirror. (FYI: I am not driving! I am ion the passenger seat while Bobby drives!)
• Jeremy and Grandma are raving about how nice the grass is out back: This is like San Diego grass! 
• Ya know mom, we should really get a cake with a monkey on it. (out of the blue)
• Why don't we turn brown when we die like the grass?
• Running down the hall his gum falls out of his mouth: I left my gum behind!
• I build this fort all by myself, somebody changed it! (Guilty! I moved something around so it was set up for him to sleep in!)
• Me: J I don't want to you grow up! J: Sorry mom, we have to go through this! 

I just love this goofy boy so much! 

Heidi-Rae: 1 Month Update

Really??!! It's been a month? Oh my! I have been so busy! I have many posts started and none finished! Here goes a monthly update!

Weight 

She's gaining some wight. There are little bitty rolls starting to form on her thighs!

I don't exactly know Heidi's weight! I'm guessing somewhere around 7 pounds. We have moved on from Priemie diapers into newborn. We only stayed in priemies so long because her umbilical cord hung on for 4 whole weeks! Now it's ok for the diaper to cover her belly button! Although, she will still fit in primes, I have SO many packages of newborn and they are just so cute! Order them here: Honest.com

Health

Getting her vitamin D while her brother, sister and cousin play in the backyard.

Once we left the NICU, we have been great! No sickness (J or C either), knock on wood!

Sleep

Snoozing away on our family trip

Homegirl sleeps almost all day and night still. Only waking up about every 3 hours because she needs to eat and occasionally because she wants to be snuggles or needs a diaper. It's rare for her to cry over a diaper, although every time I go to change her she is wet or dirty! I guess she doesn't mind it.

Clothes

Matching Easter dresses with her cousin Kailyn.
Not planned but SO cute!

Newborn fasionista! She rocks all the cute itty bitty clothes we have!

Social

On the Hot Air Balloon ride!

People have come over to see her. She doesn't really wake for them, LOL. We did take a family trip! Read about it here.

Brotherly/Sisterly Love

Snuggles

Oh man! These kids melt my heart! Jeremy is SO sweet to Heidi-Rae. He sings her songs he made up, he snuggles with her, he constantly asks if she can sleep in his bed one night. . . We'll wait a few months! Capri loves "mommy-ing" Heidi! She is always the first to tell me the second the baby cries! We absolutely adore the way she says Heidi-Rae. The past week she has become a bit jealous. When I am holding Heidi, Capri doesn't like it. Or she wants to be right up on me while I nurse. WE have been able to curve it a little by encouraging her to do whatever I am doing with Heidi, with her baby. It depends on her mood if she follows suit!

Diet

We are 100% breastmilk! I am so happy to say Heidi has NEVER had a drop of formula! She eats about every 3 hours. Sometimes she goes 4 hours, mostly at night. I'll spare you a full on boob shot. But next month I'll be sure to get a somewhat modest shot, I want a few to remember the sweet times nursing brought.

Milestones 

We are not in the NICU and made it a month! Whoop!

Personality

It seems that Heidi is a Mama's girl! That's pretty common for infants BUT by this point in Jeremy and Capri short life, we could already tell they were ALL about Daddy! I'll keep fostering a Mommy's girl and we'll see what happens! We use our carriers quite often! I love having her so close.

Post Pardum

Hiking up  Mountain Roubidoux on Easter.
2 miles up hill! Whew, that was a little tough.

Physically I am doing well. I am up and about. Not really any pain, except a hemorrhoid that comes every few days. . .TMI?? Sorry. I am a little frustrated that I am in between clothes and feel like I have nothing to wear that I feel good in. Maternity clothes are too big or too tight, as they are meant to accentuate the belly and it's not a glamorous belly right now. I can't pull regular pants, not talking jeans, over my hips! I have a few acute pants that are elastic waist and they won't go up! These hips have widened SO much since before Jeremy. I fear they won't go back. . . That means ALL new pants! Most women would be happy about this. . . But I really don't like to shop and would rather put that money towards other things! We'll see in a few months how these hips turn out!
To give some perspective:
                6 weeks               28 weeks       36 weeks
Jeremy:       36"                        37"
Capri:         37"                        37"              40"
Heidi:         37"                        40"              41"
Grand total of 5 inches overall! But there is some hope seeing that they went back to 37" when I started with Capri! We'll see what getting older does to me!

Does this picture just melt your heart??
The happiest baby: In church, during worship,
being worn by mommy, holding Daddy's finger!
Ah the life!

Pure Joy!

Building forts

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the blessing of being a Mommy. I truly love it. I don't love the difficult attitudes or hard days that the kids don't listen or the days on end Bobby is working and I am exhausted from doing the parenting thin on my own. What I DO love and cherish are moments that get me all choked up! Seeing my kids play and engage with each other. Watching them care for others above themselves!

Seeing them love on each other. 

The SNUGGLES! Get me every time! 

This life is, by no means, perfect but it IS what God has put me here to do. Being a wife and mommy are among my most honored callings.

On those days that are rough (listed above) I find myself listing the reasons I have to be thankful for my role. Without a doubt, I am feeling better within the moment the prayer leaves my lips!