Busy, Busy

Yes, we are still alive.  It has been a crazy spring.  Crazy, but good.  I wish I had more time to blog, but I have to be picky about what I do with my days and hours.

If I had time back in March, I would have told you about our surprise trip to Disneyland.  The big girls had a blast.  Izzy loved every single bit of it.  Olivia, however, HATED just about every single minute. She danced during Playhouse Disney, and giggled on Winnie the Pooh.  Other than that, she cried...she screamed...she whined...she threw fits...unless I was holding her.  Oh, and the hotel.  She loved being in the hotel room, which was awesome since we spent about 5 minutes there before we fell asleep each night and then we'd wake back up and drag her right back to that horrible, awful place.

Luke was invited to stay in Utah with his cousin and future best buddie Zack.  Thank heavens for my sister Em, we would never have survived the trip with all 3 babies in tow.  He had fun:

Then I would have told you how my not-so-little Audrey turned 7.  We had a small surprise party for her, grandparents only since it's an 'odd' year.  Her dad took her to Boondocks while Abby and I set up.  It was a great day.

Then I would have told you how my little man turned one.  He is growing fast, and keeps me extra busy.  Wow, boys!  So different from girls.  I'm having a blast with that little guy though!  Currently his favorite past time is running in his walker full speed down our hallway on the wood floor, crashing at said speed into the wall, and then laughing hysterically.  We can usually find him easily, because wherever he is playing he makes lots of noise.  Love my little Lukey-boy!

Then I definitely would have shared with you how my amazing mother graduated from college with her teaching degree!  She starts next fall as an elementary teacher.  Going back to school while balancing work, wife-ly duties, mother duties and grandma duties...it was hard work.  I'm so proud!

But most of all...I would have told you about the best news our family has ever EVER received.  We are FINALLY able to finalize Luke's adoption, and--most importantly--take him to the temple!  It has been a very, very rocky adoption, and the longest year of my life.  His birthmom first asked us to adopt him on Valentine's day last year, 2011.  But she changed her mind, and he was born a few weeks later, on April 7.  We rode a terrible, awful roller coaster with her for 5 months...she would call and say she wanted us to have him, then we wouldn't hear anything for weeks.  Then she'd text us, then nothing again for weeks.  She did finally sign the papers...but one week later we found ourselves in court, now battling the birthfather.  He was blindsided by the adoption, which we felt sympathy for...but he's a drug addict with no job.  His mom supplied the funds for the attorney, until she met us.  Then she realized that taking Luke from our loving home was something she could not do to her little grandson.  His first 5 months had been rocky, and she was grateful she no longer had to spend sleepless nights worrying if he was being properly cared for.  Then, even though they had dropped the case, the judge refused to dismiss it until the birthfather signed relinquishment papers.  He (the birthfather), for reasons we don't understand, (he didn't really want custody...just didn't want to admit it maybe?) refused to sign until only recently.  The day he signed papers, one week before Luke's birthday, was surreal.  It was hard to believe that our more-than-a-year-long battle was finally over.  Jake and I were both giddy to the point of pure silliness.  We giggled all day.  It was kind of embarrassing.  Jake called later in the day to tell me that he was sure the sky was bluer than it had been all year.  I kind of felt like those allergy commercials where they take away the 'fog' and then the picture is clear.  I suddenly felt like doing the things I had once enjoyed but had forgotten, because I finally was able to feel true happiness again.  I cried everyday since last Valentines day, and now that he signed those blasted papers, I've cried everyday since.  I can't help it.  I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father, and I'm so grateful Luke will now be ours for eternity.  If we had lost the court case, that would have been goodbye forever.  Although the court battle had dwindled, we knew that at any moment they could decide to pick it back up, and there was a chance that they would have won.  Losing him without the promise of eternal blessings would have drove me completely crazy, and I'm not being one bit sarcastic.  I feared, not only of losing him, but that the repercussions of the loss would destroy me as a person beyond repair.

So we get to spend the next month preparing for the temple and the massive celebration we have planned for afterwards.  I'm so excited, I just might rent a plane to write it in the sky that day.  Nothing seems adequate!

I can't fly a plane

Have you seen Bee movie?  There's a part in it that has gotten stuck in my head.  The leading lady and her bee friend are flying in a plane when the pilot is knocked unconscious.  The girl takes over the controls, and seems to fly successfully for a bit.  Another accident happens, and the plane loses the 'autopilot' feature.  They start to fall, and the girl throws her hands in the air and exclaims, "Apparently I CANNOT fly a plane!"
Too often, I get myself into ridiculous situations where I have made commitments that are impossible with the demands of my current situation.
"Sure, I'll be there at 9:00am sharp!  With all three kids in tow, perfectly primped and dressed, myself included."
Yeah, right.  8:54am hits and I am scrambling with wet hair and 3 naked babies.  I find myself muttering, 'Apparently, I cannot fly a plane.'

(bath time for the babies, who are quickly becoming not-babies)

Why do I set my expectations for myself so high?  When I make appointments, why am I not honest...and ask for an appointment sometime around noon?  Why do I tell myself I can clean the whole house in a single day, or ever think I will stay on top of the laundry?
I think we all want to believe that we can do it all.  Of course she couldn't fly the plane, and of course I can't do 4 hours of work in under 2.
One of Isabelle's therapist also visits my friend's daughter.  She told me the other day that the therapist said to her, "Sarah makes imperfect look so good!  When I show up, she may be in her pj's.  The house may be a mess, but her kids are loved and she's like, come on in!"
Yikes.  I'm think she meant it as a compliment, but it was a reality check for me.  I'm definitely living an imperfect life right now.  The house is usually a mess, and I rarely make it out of my pjs. (I shower...but who wants to wear jeans and a nice shirt while they spend most of the time on the floor?  Pj's go better with my lifestyle.)  My kids, however, are definitely loved.

(Isabelle & the always-naked Olivia enjoying some ice cream)

It's exhausting, and somedays I think I may lose my mind forever.  I've started to worry that I'm getting arthritis.  My body aches so much at night that I have a hard time falling asleep.  I was complaining to my mom the other day and she said, "Someday, you will look back and you will see how hard this time of your life is.  You will wonder how you ever survived!"  Things like that make me feel better, sometimes I take for granted how crazy things are.  (thank heavens for moms that understand)
I'm reading 'I am a Mother' by Jane Clayson Johnson again.  I love it.  It reminds me again why I chose this life, and why I wouldn't change a thing about it.  No, I can't afford a nanny.  But I get to be the one who loves and cares for my kids each day.  No, I can't afford a maid or any help with the housework for that matter.  But it teaches my kids about hard work.

(Crazy Sunday afternoon dance party)

So, I can't fly a plane.  But I'm happy with exactly what I can do:  be a mom.  I get to be a mom.  When I fall into bed at night, sometimes in tears, I am overwhelmed by how much I love my kids.  I say to Jake almost daily, "I know there are plenty of moms who love their kids as much as I do, but no one loves their kids more than I love mine."  I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father trusted me with their little souls.  And there is my answer:  I'm hard on myself because I want the absolute best for them.  I want them to grow up happy, strong, confident, with a firm foundation in the gospel.  That takes a lot of work, sometimes it requires more than I have to give.  I want them to have it all, but I have to trust in Heavenly Father's choice to send them to me (all at once, I may add) with all of my shortcomings and know that if I work my hardest it will be enough.

"You are doing God's work.  You are doing it wonderfully well.  He is blessing you, and He will bless you, even--no especially--when your days and your nights may be most challenging.  Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master's garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and weep over their responsibility as mothers, 'Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole'.  And it will make your children whole as well."

Because she is a Mother, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Alphabet Wall

I am not a decorator.  Even after spending hours online, and many trips to the fabric store, I still could not come up with a color scheme for the baby girls' room.  I finally committed to go to the fabric store and buy the first fabric that I liked.  I settled on a gray and coral/red.  I made matching quilts, and painted the walls.  Much to my husbands surprise (NOT), I hate it.  I end up disliking most of my DIY decorating projects, so when I told him that I thought it was ugly he just laughed at me.  But not the 'oh that's so funny' kind of laugh, it was more like 'I'm laughing because she makes me crazy'.  It's too bright, it hurts my eyes.  But, I don't have the energy to change it, so I'm trying to make the best of it.  I want need to add some wall stuff to break up gray.  I had a bunch of fabric scraps left from the quilts...so I hit Pinterest for some ideas.  (I'm an addict, right along with the rest of America)

I found several alphabet wall hangings.  Bingo.  Then I remembered THIS post I saw a while back.  Apparently, you can iron fabric to your walls using Wonder-Under.  Double bingo.

I set out to create my simple, fabric alphabet wall art.  Holy Moly it was so hard.  First, I decided on my layout.  (using inspiration from one of the wall hangings I had found)  I measured, multiplied, chose fonts, and created each letter in Photoshop.  IT TOOK ALL DAY.  Half way through, I regretted my decision...but it was too late to turn back.  I had already put so much work into it, now I just had to cut the letters out & put them on the wall.  Easy peasy?  WRONG.  That part took another 3 hours.  

But, after all that hard work, it did turn out pretty cute.  Here's the reason for the post:  after all the hours it took to create the files of letters, it would be a waste not to share.  So...here's the tutorial, along with the files you need to create the letters yourself.

Materials:

Wonder-Under (iron-on sticky stuff that makes your material stick to other stuff...it's magical)

Material scraps  (if you are buying new, get 7" of 4 different fabrics)

iron

marker

scissors

Letter Patterns:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (click each one & print them out at 100%)

Trace all of the letters onto the Wonder-Under.  Each document has several letters, overlapping.
Trace them individually, NOT OVERLAPPED.  Only mark on the paper side.  The shiny stuff is the glue, and you don't want marker or pencil on that part.

Cut out the letters, but leave space...don't cut them out on the lines yet.

Divide them up into baggies like this:

#1:  A, K, e, o, i, r, X  (this was my main color)

#2: B, g, m, n, P, S 

#3:  d, f, L, H, U, Y, v, Z

#4:  c, j, Q, w  (this should be an accent color...I used white 'cause I'm creative like that.)

Divide them up even more if you are using a bigger variety of material.

Each baggie is meant to be used on a different material.  Iron onto the WRONG side.  (Now you see why the letters are flipped backward.)  Don't remove the paper backing yet!

I cut them out as I needed them, I thought that was easier than shuffling through a stack of letters.  Cut each letter out along the lines, THEN remove the paper.  I adjusted the letters quite a bit, but kept the height & width the same.  I added thickness to certain lines, and adjusted the curve of some.  I took a little off my Q's tail because I thought it looked funny.

I drew a square on my wall that was 24" X 32".  I wanted the subway art look.  You can arrange them however you want, of course.  It's your house.

Iron them onto the wall.  I didn't take a picture of the actual ironing...I'm not that talented.  However, I did take some nice, grainy iPhone pictures for you as I went:

I started with the corners, and made sure they were touching the lines to give it a nice squared-up look.  Or, technically, a rectangled-up look.

Then I filled in the top & bottom:

I held up surrounding letters to make sure I spaced them correctly before ironing each letter.  For example: I held up the P & K with the L, before I ironed the L into place.

By now it was 5:45pm and we usually eat at 5:30.  The kids were ornery and neglected...Jake was working late.  But, I pressed on...(no pun intended)

...and FINALLY FINISHED!!  

So, what do you think?  Was it worth my WHOLE stinking day?  I think not.  But, I actually do like how this project turned out...and that's saying a lot.

On a side note, I am also loving the shelves that Abby & I built for their room too.  I followed the tutorial found here.

Freezer Meals

Most people I run into or talk to on the phone have one question for me:  How are you surviving?  The truth is:  somedays we I barely make it through the day.  Then there are days when I think, "Wow, I'm doing great at this 3 babies-at-once-thing."  There are many variables, and occasionally they all line up nicely and I find myself in bed at night with a clean house, trying to figure out why today worked when the day before hadn't.  Someone gets sick or I'm sick or it's that time of the month or I run a single errand, or I get talking to a friend and the girls tear into my bathroom cupboards, or any one of a number of things that can kink my day just so, and all hell breaks loose.  I've spent the past few months trying to anticipate the disasters and plan for them so that they don't destroy all of my hard work in one fell swoop, setting me back days or even a full week.  I've set several rules for myself, like I try not to take phone calls from 3:30-8:30 and I do as much laundry as I can everyday.  My favorite time saver, though, is freezer meals.

I've made/used freezer meals quite often over the years.  I've had some successes, and lots of fails.  Last November I was feeling like I was always running behind, so my friend Erika suggested we get together and assemble a bunch.  I learned a lot from her, and now I'm hooked.  I re-stocked my stash this week.  As I stared at the 42 meals stacked in my freezer I decided I need to share this awesome-ness.    If you have ever wanted to try your hand at pre-cooking your family's dinners, here's how I do it:

1.  Choose your meals.
  For your first time, choose 2-3 of your family favorites.  Once you get comfortable, you can make more.  (I did 13 different dinners this time, 3 or 4 of each)  Don't try a new recipe.  It's very frustrating to find out that your family hates a dish...and there's 3 more of the same waiting in your freezer.  Make a list of the meals you want to make, and how many of each.  I have found that the best recipes are the ones with sauce on them.  If your noodles/rice/tortillas aren't covered with something, they tend to become freezer burned quickly.  There is a plethora of freezer meal recipes out there.  You can probably find a freezer meal version of any favorite recipe.  If you aren't on Pinterest yet, now would be a good time to open an account.  Make a variety:  once I had 15 different Italian pasta dishes in my freezer.  Oops.  We love Italian, but not 5 times a week!  Do one chicken, one beef, one vegetarian dish.  Or one Italian, one Mexican, one Chinese/Japanese dish.  Variety will keep you from getting bored with your freezer meals.

2.  Make a Chart
  Start listing your ingredients.  I made a chart that lists common ingredients by store section, with extra space for writing in the uncommon stuff.  Break each recipe down, and times it by the number you are making.  Next to each ingredient, I make tally marks.  For example, if I was making 3 recipes of meatballs:  it calls for 2lbs ground beef, 1 onion, 1c. quick oats.  I would put 6 marks by beef, 3 by onions, 3 by oats.  Do that for each recipe, and you have your grocery list ready to go.  Make sure your marks can transfer to shopping quantity.  When I mark something like green onions, I know I'm marking for each individual onion, not the # of packages, so then I count the onions in the bag when I get to the store.  If it calls for 10 oz. frozen spinach, I write that down with 3 marks by it.  Then I buy the 30 oz. bag to save money.  For the oats in my meatballs, I would have to figure out how many cups are in each can & then do some math.  You get the idea.  **Write down all of the ingredients.**  You won't believe how fast a bottle of soy sauce disappears when you triple the recipe.  If it calls for more than a dash of anything, buy a new bottle or at least double check what you have on hand.

3.  Shop the sales
  If it doesn't save you money, it's not worth it!  If you can, spend a week or two gathering your ingredients.  Watch the ads.  Wait for chicken to go on sale. Buy in bulk!  Be careful about the big-box stores like Sam's or Costco.  Some of their stuff is a great price, but a lot of it just seems like a good deal.  It's usually cheaper to wait for a sale at a smaller grocery store.  Remember...it will be a lot of food.  Jake and I filled 2 carts at Sam's, and that didn't include the stuff I had found cheaper elsewhere!

4.  Invest in the right supplies
  Get a really big 13 qt. bowl (I found mine at Sam's), and a really big stock pot.  Mixing huge quantities in a bowl that's too small is frustrating and messy.  With a large stock pot you can cook all of your chicken at once, and it comes in handy for big stove-top recipes like chicken curry.  Buy Ziploc gallon size freezer bags for soups.  Cheap bags will leak and get freezer-burn.  I recommend disposable pans for casseroles or anything you would cook in a 9X13.  Sam's sells a package of 30 aluminum pans for $6.  I recommend getting the lids too, which are another $6.  (they are on the restaurant supply aisle)  Even with the pans & lids, I average only $7-8 per meal total.  It's worth the added expense to have your hard work properly stored.  One of the biggest bonuses of freezer meals is no dishes, and aluminum pans go from your freezer to the oven to the garbage.  Definitely worth it.

5.  Prep work
  I have found that I like it better when I only do 5 or 6 recipes per day.  (Remember, that still adds up to 15-20 meals in one day)  It goes without saying, but start with a clean kitchen & an empty sink.  This makes an insane mess.  Don't start out behind.  On my list of meals, I note the prep work I need to do next to each recipe, as well as the quantities.  Then I can spot the similarities at a glance.  Like this:  9u means it calls for 9 uncooked chicken breasts, 4c means it calls for 4 cups cooked chicken.  (1 chicken breast=1 cup cooked, roughly)  I also note the cups of chopped onions, etc.  That way I can count & dump the chicken for all the meals in the pot at once to boil (I always cook extra!), and chop the onions all at once for all my meals.  I can also count out and begin defrosting all the chicken for the 'raw' recipes.  I set out my canned goods in rows so that I can grab what I need quickly.

6.  Start cooking!
  While the chicken boils, I start assembling the recipes that are my 'dump in a bag' recipes.  These are generally crock pot recipes.  Like chicken tacos, or soups, or sandwich fixings like BBQ pork.  Set your freezer bags in a tall bowl to fill them, it will keep them from tipping over and spilling.  I leave out the water & write the amount to add on the bag.  If the recipe calls for broth, I use better-than-bouillon.  Ex:  if it calls for 24 oz. chicken stock/broth, I add 3 t. better than bouillon and write 'add 3 c. water' on the bag.  You can even buy dry vegetable broth seasoning.  It saves freezer space & money.
  You can shred the chicken in your stand-mixer with the paddle attachment.  Shred as much as will fit in your mixer at once, then you can add it by the cup as you need it.  Mix each recipe one at a time, & clean up between recipes. Besides avoiding cross-contamination, it will also prevent a disastrous kitchen at the end of a very long day.  Spray the pans with cooking spray.  You can almost always prepare the meal as directed, but then when it says to put it in the oven...put it in the freezer instead.  If the recipe calls for cooked chicken, cook the chicken first.  Otherwise, add it raw and freeze it raw.  (ex:  I use cooked chicken in most of my casseroles, but I assemble my chicken cordon bleu with raw chicken and freeze it that way.  Also, most crock-pot recipes call for raw meat, since they cook all day.)  When I make meatballs or meatloaf, I wear clean rubber gloves and mix it with my hands.  It will mix quicker & more evenly.  When you label the pans, put the sticker on the side if you have an upright freezer, or on the top if you have a chest freezer.  I write the directions for cooking on another label, as well as what I plan to serve with it.  (ex:  350 for 30 minutes, serve with rice or on buns)  When you've finished assembling, if you have leftover shredded cooked chicken dump it in a bag, add a jar of salsa, black beans, and corn.  Voila, Tortilla soup.  Add water when you cook it, until it is the consistency you like.

7.  Enjoy your easy dinners
  Make a list of what you have so you can keep track of what you use.  If you can, thaw your meal by putting it in your fridge the night before, so it's ready to go by dinnertime.  I almost never remember to do this!  I have found that almost all of my recipes will cook in about 2 hours from frozen.  Even a crock pot meal cooks up fast on the stove, but requires stirring.  We use paper plates & utensils, so we don't have much of a clean-up after dinner.  You can't even imagine how awesome this is until you try it...no prep-work, no dishes...our evenings are so much smoother.  I also love not wasting time coming up with something for dinner, just to find out I'm missing a key ingredient half way through the prep.

Here's a pic of my hard work this week:

(see why you label the side of the pan for storage in an upright freezer?)

I cannot tell you how rewarding it is to look at this.  I went back downstairs three times today just so I could stand with the freezer door open and admire how pretty they look.  FORTY-TWO dinners!  That will last our family 6-8 weeks, since we just use them on week days.

Let me know if you decide to try it, and how it goes.  I promise that once you work out the kinks and adjust this plan to fit your family, you will be so happy with the results.  Anything that gives me more daily time with my kids is a welcome addition to our routine!

And...just in case you are wondering...here's what's stacked in there:
All-day Chicken Tacos
Chicken Curry
Ham & Cheese Braid
Sloppy Chicken (for sandwiches)
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Florentine Puffs
Chicken & Spinach Pasta
French Dip
Mexican Soup
Chicken Enchiladas
Meatballs 3 ways:  teriyaki, marinara, BBQ
Chicken & Spinach Loaf
Italian Meatloaf

Happy Freezing!

A new year!

We rang in the new year at home this year.  We drank fake champagne, wore party hats, watched Mr. Popper's Penguins, played games, had a Just Dance competition, lit fireworks and set our goals.

Here's our list for 2012:

The things I'm most excited for:  temple sealing to Luke, our California trip & finishing the basement.  I'm printing this into a poster so we can cross things off as we do them.  The numbers around the outside are for our family scripture reading.

I'm so excited to find out what's in store for our family this year!

Christmas 2011

This Christmas was our best one yet:

We had 2 awesome, laid back days of celebrating.  We spent Christmas Eve morning with Jake's family, a change from our usual Christmas morning breakfast.  We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner with my family.  Each meal was delicious, and the company was even better.  My kids love their cousins, and we love our family.  Good times.

On Christmas Eve, we drove past the Rescue Mission and passed out BLESSING BAGS.  It was a simple way to show my kids how blessed they really are.  

But maybe what really made it the best yet is because of what Jake and I like to call our 'instant family'.  2 years, 3 kids.  Our family doubled in what felt like overnight.  I sat on the couch watching them play with their Christmas toys and I got all emotional.  

Or maybe it was because we finally have Luke.  At one point, I pulled Luke onto my lap.  I thought back to a summer night when I had laid awake imagining what it would feel like to have him with us on Christmas morning.  The thought had helped me through many hard nights.  Holding him on my lap while everyone around us celebrated, I had a quite moment of gratitude.  Miracles happen.

 The girls made Jake THIS massage shirt.  He fell sound asleep during the first test run on Christmas morning.

 Isabelle's silly smile.  She loved opening presents, and no matter who was opening what, she clapped and gasped and cheered.

 It took Luke 20 minutes to calm down from his first face to face with Santa.  Isabelle and Olivia wouldn't go near that big white beard.

I loved celebrating our Savior's birth.  This year I have come to see Him as my friend more than ever before.  I felt Him watching over me and guiding me.  I know that He was born in a lowly stable.  I know He lived a perfect life and then died for us.  I know He lives!

Merry Christmas

Christmas is coming...

Christmas cookies with my sisters and mom....

My favorite part was when Liv tapped my leg to let me know that she wanted to join us.  We grabbed her a chair and she decorated longer than any of the kids.  I should have taken a picture of her sprinkle/sugar/frosting drenched cookie stub.  (take a bite, sprinkle sprinkle, lick a little, sprinkle sprinkle)

Olivia running in the mall.  She was sick of her stroller, so I let her out and we walked around the mall holding hands instead.  Holy crapola I adore that child.

P.S.  Today Abby bumped her stomach on something downstairs.  She came up to let me know that she had an eternal injury.  (She meant internal.)

My little Isabelle

It's about time I posted about Isabelle!  She is, as you can imagine, amazing.  Her little spirit blesses our lives DAILY.  Some updates on her:

She is doing awesome with communication.  She uses her sign language like a pro!  After going so long without ever really knowing what she wanted, it is exhilarating to see her ask me for something specific.

These are the signs she uses daily:  milk, chicken (nuggets, not the animal), food, more, juice (this is my personal favorite...she signs 'drink' but holds her pinkie in the air so it makes a 'J' motion as she tips her hand to her mouth...probably doesn't make any sense if you don't know sign), sandwich, eggs, toast, water, bath, dad, mom, all done.
She also knows these, but only uses them if I prompt her:  grandpa, grandma, please, banana, and a few more that I can't think of right now...

Have I ever mentioned how much she loves spaghetti?  P.S.  Those are her PJ's and we did not have spaghetti for breakfast.  What can I say, the kid hates getting dressed and I hate making her cry.

If I offer her eggs, she'll shake her head 'no' and sign toast.  Sometimes I offer her milk, and she asks for juice instead.  I'm sure my backyard neighbors have caught me jumping up and down in my kitchen many times.  Sometimes I just can't contain my excitement when she is clear about what she wants.  I'm so proud of her!  She doesn't assign the correct sounds with the words yet, (she says 'nah' for eggs, 'buh' for milk, 'dah' for bottle, etc) but she is showing tons of progress.

Sidenote:  Olivia doesn't talk.  (I've talked to a speech therapist, it's totally normal and not cause for concern yet.)  When I say she doesn't talk...I mean she never talks.  She says 'dad' when he gets home, and the other day she said 'Looh' (Luke) for the first time-but thats it.  By now, she should be using 4-5 words correctly at least.  Instead, she signs and mimics the grunts and sounds that Isabelle does.  If it weren't so darn cute I may be more concerned.  My favorite one is when I ask her if she wants eggs, she signs eggs and says "nah, nah, nah" exactly like Isabelle does.  Isabelle's therapist assures me that she'll grow out of it, I hope she's right.  What if Luke follows suit and I have 3 kids that can't talk?

"Isabelle, show me your silly face!"

Christmas Cards are heading out...

My cards are ready to go out!

I love love Christmas Cards. 

*If you want one...send me your address!

Ovaltine!?!

When I hear the word Ovaltine, I think of Young Frankenstein.  The reference fits here...because this kid is a monster.

At Last

Every once in a while...even though it's been over 3 months....I look over at this little guy and take a deep breath.

He's really home.

How 'bout...CUPCAKES!?!

Dancing in the Nutcracker has been Abby's dream for as long as I can remember.  This fall, she was finally old enough to try out.  She made the cut and was chosen to be a cupcake.

Her Nutcracker rehearsals were back to back with her regular class, which meant she was gone for over 2 hours every Saturday.  She never complained, and she worked very hard.  I hope that she has the opportunity again for many years to come!

Backstage, waiting her turn

I am so proud of you, Abbers!  What a beautiful dancer you are.  I love you!

Olivia

Tonight while I was rocking Olivia back to sleep (she has a new habit of waking up at 11 every night) I closed my eyes and tried to memorize what it feels like to hold her tiny little body.  I try to think back to when Abby & Audrey were at this stage...but I remember very little.  I know I'm going to forget these small moments and it's killing me!

 She always has a bear, blanket or stuffed animal in her arms.  She drags them around and sucks her thumb.

 This was during what I liked to call the 'get-yourself-stuck-somewhere-and-then-scream-bloody-murder-until-mom-comes-running-because-she-thinks-you've-cut-off-your-finger' phase.

 This was her 'I-want-to-be-a-piggy-everyday' phase.

Her current obsession:  anything to do with Luke.  If she catches me feeding him, she comes running and takes over.  If he cries, she runs to find him a toy.  Today, she was sitting on the floor quietly when Luke woke up from his nap.  She jumped up, pointed at Jake and excitedly said 'Looh!' (one of the very few words she says), and then ran down the hall to his room.  She peered back around the corner at us, waved at us to follow her and repeated 'Looh' again.

My favorite sound to wake up to (on the mornings that Jake lets me sleep in a little) is the slapping of her bare feet on the wood floor.  She runs from the kitchen every minute or so to see if my door is open yet.

Whenever I pick her up, she pats the back of my arm with her tiny hand.

She and Izzy have made up a new game:  they put their toys (or sippie cups or snacks or whatever) on a bar stool and push it around the kitchen.

She randomly hugs my legs.

She is addicted to raisins.  Almost any of her tantrums are instantly soothed if I hand her a mini box.  She can't get enough.

Her dance moves are amazing.  She shakes her hips and bobs her head and twists her hands.  When I have time, I will share a video clip of her shakin' her tail feathers.

Dang this brain of mine!  I wish I had a photographic memory so that when 10 years have passed I can close my eyes and remember exactly what she looked like and smelled like and sounded like.  Instead...I will forget.  But in heaven, I'm going to play all of these moments over and over and over again.  I can't wait.