Daddy Daughter Valentine's Date!

Saturday night, Steve took the girls to Chick-fil-A for their Valentine's event. They had so much fun!

 

The girls loooooooove dressing up for their dates! Even when he takes them to Cabela's or the park, they ask to wear their fanciest dresses. These dates are one of the few times that I don't regulate their outfits at all. (Okay, I do style their hair. If they'll let me.)

 

 

 

The girls came home, so excited about the limousine and their ice cream! Bella was amazed that the limo had a built-in cooler with drinks! (Including Coke! No way!)

 

Life Through Instagram

Some "life" shots from my phone the last few weeks! 

 

Steve feeding Henry while I was at the salon. 

 

 

Pictures taken at our church's tea party!

 

 

Bella draped her purple boa over Henry's plaything to entertain him, but he only cared about her computer games!

Smooches!

Bella had her own turn with Miss Suzanne!

Suzanne cut about five inches off and thinned it out a little bit!

Henry's taking naps in his crib during the day!

Evelyn reading to her baby.

 

Steve and Henry talking...Henry is "talking" like crazy lately!

 

The Decision To Be Done

We know (we KNOW!) that we are done having kids. We both come from families of three, and we both just sort of knew that three was our limit. We didn't have a third just to "try" for a boy - if Lily had survived full-term, we would have been done then. Probably a little disappointed at not having a boy, but still sure about our number.

There's a huge difference, though, between knowing you're done having kids, and making it impossible to have any more. We're at the point where Steve and I are discussing options for our future, and honestly, a permanent option makes the most sense for us. Birth control pills make me screwy, and we just don't like some of the other choices. (I'm trying not to be too detailed for the sake of our mothers. Because...well...I don't want their heads to explode.)

But when I imagine the moment where I won't be able to have any more children, it gets really emotional for me. The thought of never falling asleep with a newborn tucked up against me, never having that moment where a little human being comes out of you or when you feel a baby kicking inside of you. That's just hard to accept, even though I know it's what we want.

So, my two options right now are an IUD (I found one that is non-hormonal and lasts for ten years) and a product called Essure. The Essure device is completely permanent, meaning that, once it's in, there is no chance of changing your mind or going back. The funny thing is, the thought of a surprise pregnancy makes me physically ill. I am a planner and a control freak; I do not react well to surprises that major. I am absolutely certain that I don't want more children, and I'm even more certain that I don't want to get pregnant while Henry's still a baby. But I'm 32...what if I change my mind?

 

Which brings us back to an IUD. An IUD gives me the assurance of "permanence" (and it starts working right away!), but it also gives my emotions a chance to catch up with the idea of you're never doing this again. The only negative of an IUD is that I keep reading about how they make you have really intense periods for the first 6 months or so. That, and a really vivid memory of a Law & Order episode where an IUD perforated a girl's stomach and killed her. (Good times.)

 

Pray for us as we move forward! We want to make the best decision for our family, and weigh the options without driving ourselves crazy!

Oh Wait...Our Resolutions!

Steve and I had a date night a couple of weeks ago and talked about our resolutions...or more loosely put, our "goals", for this year.  

 

This past December, we ended the Bible study that had been meeting in our home for the last few years. It has been so nice to have extra family time during the week without any schedule or commitments. It's been our time of rest, as we took a break from teaching. One of my hopes for this year, though, is that we can start a new Bible study for couples in our home. I've always wanted to have something for married or engaged couples, and I've been praying that this would be the year!

 

We finally got off our butts and signed up for the "gym" at our church. There's an indoor track, so we've been taking Henry in the stroller and doing laps after Steve gets home from work. The girls bring along some toys so that they can keep busy if they get tired of traipsing after us. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. Eventually, I'd like to turn it into more of a "jog", but I'm just impressed that we've been at it for two weeks now!

And you know what? I can't remember any of the others! Ha! Seriously! We talked about some spiritual goals, some relationship goals, and some parenting ones, too, but I can't remember any of them right now! Oh my word! I'm so brain-dead.

Oh, wait! This is kind of parenting and personal combined, but Steve and I would like to read a parenting book together. I love Don't Make Me Count to Three, and I've always wanted to read Raising a Strong-Willed Child. Hopefully, it will provide some practical encouragement while we raise our wonderful little humans!




Henry Is Three Months Old! (How???)

Look at him! How precious is he!

 

Henry's smiling all of the time and getting on a little more of a schedule.

AND! He sleeps for about 6 hours at night! Winning!

 

 

He seems to recognize the girls now, and he gets the biggest smile on his face when Steve comes home from work!

He's such a calm and happy baby; he seriously only cries when he's really tired!

(Okay, or if he's starving.)

 

He doesn't go back to the doctor until his 4-month check-up, so I'm not sure how much he weighs, but he's chunky and healthy!

 

The sisters wanted in on the action...I love Henry's zoned out look when he's this close to Bella and Evelyn. I'd be scared, too!

 

 

My weird Baby #3 fact: He only poops like every other day. The girls were pooping masters, and pooped at least once a day. Bella was consistently twice a day for her first year, so Henry's schedule is a little new for me!

 

 

This is a picture I'm going to have to re-create when they're, like 15 and 17. I love their faces!

January Wrap-Up...

It has been way too long since I've posted on this blog! I was reading Whitney's blog the other day, and it reminded me that it was time to update mine, too. The funny thing is, I haven't really missed it. Sometimes I go in seasons with this blog, and lately, I've just been enjoying being at home and not documenting everything. Before I start back up again (and also go back and update some of the past posts), here are some things that happened in January...

Evelyn got sick and passed out in my arms.

Henry was all naked and cute.

The girls and I recorded "Happy Birthday" for my dad! (Henry did the harmony.) Ooo! And I'm wearing sneakers for the first time in like, two years, because Steve and I have started exercising at our church! It's definitely a baby step, but it's a step!

 

Little Man started smiling like crazy!

Evelyn proved that I've stopped caring about my children's appearance. I told her preschool teachers that having a third baby killed any sense of pride due to exhaustion. 

 

Evelyn was very serious during her much-needed haircut! Clearly, drama doesn't run in our family at all!

 

The girls and I got dressed up to go to a tea party, hosted by our church.

 

It was a Mad Hatter theme, and they loved it! Weird little smiles, but they had a great time!

Bella was all grown-up with her fancy tea cup (which was her Great-Grandma Wires'!) and hot chocolate.

Did I mention Henry and his killer smiles? Even Steve hasn't stopped swooning! 

 

Bella felt like The Man when she figured out she could hold Henry like Mommy does.

 

I took a picture of Henry's little toes for no other reason than we're still in that embarrassing baby stage where we think Every. Single. Thing. our baby does is the most precious thing in the world.

We got a small TV to hang over the mantle. I'm still waiting for my cord covers to come in the mail, so I can make it pretty, but it's big enough to see from the kitchen, and small enough to not take over the mantle. And is it just me, or are TV's really inexpensive now?!?

Oh! And my dad (who is totally amazing!) sang "Bring Him Home" as Jean Valjean from Les Mis! He sang with a live orchestra at a performing arts center in Florida. He's so studly and talented!

Just a glimpse of real life lately. I don't know if it's the cold weather or having a new baby, but Steve and I have loved being home this month. We still have people over and all that, but most of our nights, we are reveling in our family. (Or yelling at them until they go to sleep; it just depends!)

Thankful...A Little Early

It's 9:15, and I'm already in bed, so I'll say it a little early...Happy New Year! 

What a wonderful year it's been for us! A new house, a new baby, and so many incredible, thankful moments in between. Steve and I look at our little family and just marvel at this life that God has given us. These little humans can drive us crazy, but they are beautiful, hilarious, loving little creatures!