It’s one of my favorite things to do… when people stop me in the store and say, “wow you got your hands full…” I love to say, “yeah, I actually have 5 kids!” The look on their face is priceless… sure shock and panic.
With the twins I get a lot of attention. They are adorable and strangers are enamored. They are so smiley now, and I’m loving their personalities.
Wade is so smiley, and he will charm everyone he meets! He has two little teeth that just pop right out! He’s pretty wiggly and active. Sometimes he has a hard time settling down. I love to pat his back and rock him… His cheeks are getting bigger and it blows my mind to see pictures of him when he was just over 5 pounds!! We’ve come so far!! He got though the cold and flu season, and it was hard to hear him with some congestion and a little cough. I love the way his face lights up when he sees me and he has my heart!!!
Weston is such a little cutie!! He likes to reach and grab for stuff and is curious about the world around him. He loves his sisters and they can always get him to belly laugh. They love to hold him…except that he’s still a spit-up risk. He is great at sleeping and can usually fall asleep in seconds when I set him down in his bed. He has the softest cheeks and light blonde hair. He’s playing with toys and loves to put everything in his mouth!!! I love my little Weston… he’s just adorable!!
I’m finding a groove with Afton at home, and enjoying spending 1-1 time with her in between nap time. We spend a lot of time at parks, music makers, the library and playing together. She’s so patient with the boys, and she’s a lot of fun to have around. She’s the best cuddler ever… She’s smart and writing her own name. She likes to color, sing and dance. She loves to wear her swimsuit and tutus and she is full of personality. I finally got her to stop sucking her thumb but gave her an old hospital pacifier the first night to ease the blow… Now she thinks that’s the new normal. We’re going to have to work on phasing that out too. I love to watch her grow, and she’s very sweet and attentive. She asks about the boys getting older and if they’ll play with her… and I can’t wait to see that relationship grow. She’s a girl who knows what she wants. She loves playing with Audrey and other friends and will boss them around from time to time. She smiles for pictures and is always happy! She gets tired in the afternoons, so we try to have down time, as she hasn’t been napping as often. She turns 4 in June which will be here before we know it. She’s growing up so fast, stretching out, and losing her baby fat.
Nora Jane is blossoming. She has come leaps and bounds in the last year. She had a super fun birthday, full of playdough and friends! She loves to create and is quite the artist. She likes hands-on learning and is always making me pictures and learning to write notes. She has great handwriting and is attentive to the way things should look. She likes things to be just so! Not long ago, Nora would be holding on to my leg or have her fingers nervously in her mouth. She is speaking with confidence now, playing with neighbor friends and excelling in school. She can read just about anything, and has her whole list of sight words memorized. It’s so impressive. School is fun for her and it comes easy. She loves her teacher and she’s making some sweet friends. I’m so proud of her, and as she moves into the soccer season she’s no longer scared! She got her hair cut short in a bob around her birthday time, and I think it gave her a lot of confidence, too! Everyone comments on it, and it looks so good on her! I remember feeling special with things like that as a little girl, and I think she does too! She’s just blossoming, and I love the girl she’s becoming.
Carmen is entering a whole new world! It’s hard being the oldest and essentially the guinea pig of me trying to figure things out. Second grade is a big deal and she is so responsible. She gets ready and does her hair every morning. She keeps track of her assignments and homework. She knows what’s going on and makes sure to stay on top of things. She’s stretching out with long legs and losing teeth. She’s beautiful and kind and smart and fun… but she’s starting to question herself. For some reason she’s more aware of her peers and sometimes is hard on herself. She’s working hard in math and is a great reader! I love listening to her talk about her day, and she continues to blow everyone away with her maturity and sweet nature. We went on a date to see a ballet performance at the Cowan Center and it meant a lot to her. She loves quality time, and it’s good for her as she starts into these harder years to continue to give her the attention she needs. She also started ballet class, and she has found her niche. I can’t believe how much she loves it!! It’s fun to see her excited about something, and as she continues with soccer, she’ll find her passion! She loves to sing and dance at home, and she’s a natural performer! She had interest in playing the guitar, and I want to learn with her! She’s really tender-hearted and is doing better controlling her emotions. Her grandmas love her, and she’s a bright light to all who know her. I love our lunch dates together and our talks about what’s going on at school. I want her to know she’s perfect just the way she is… and it makes me sad to see some areas of self-doubt. She’s a girl with incredible talents and such a good heart.
I love being a mom and watching my children grow and learn. Michael and I manage so much together… I couldn’t do it without him. He makes me laugh, he encourages me to grow, and he’s supports me when I need it most. I love that he’s branching out and listening to audio books, conference talks, and uplifting things to better our family, life and marriage. He’s implemented so many practical things, and he pushes me to be better. I love that he works out early, he eats clean and he is so dang motivated. He’s a changed man from relaxing on the couch every night. Sometimes we don’t even turn the TV on. We’ll get to bed early or do something different. He’s intentional about his time, and his “big mo” pushes him to keep going. He’s doing so well at work and he receives lots of compliments. I’m so proud of him and every time I stop by the office I’m in awe of all that he has to balance. I know he does it for our family, and I can’t believe he doesn’t complain. He serves in his calling and cares for us. He’s a phenomenal dad and I’ll find him reading books on his nightstand about raising daughters. I feel so blessed I found him, and we truly are the best of friends.
Life is good when you have the people you love. I count my blessings every day I have FIVE beautiful children to raise and shape me as a mother.
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Cute!!!!