William

I came across these pictures of William on my phone the other day, and had to document them.

The one below is of William sitting in Luke's car seat, drinking the bottle that we can't seem to get him away from. He is watching his all time favorite show...America's Funniest Home Videos. What a crack up!

 

This is what happens when William gets his favorite food...an ice cream cone.

William sat in an ant pile, and got over 30 bites all over his body. So sad!

William's favorite thing to do outside.

We sure love our William!

One Month! (week 4)

Luke is one month old! I honestly can't believe it. Time flies.

Luke stretches out his feedings to almost 3 hours!

A weekend trip to Pocatello to be with family and introduce them to Luke. It was full of fun, laughter, good food, and relaxation. It was a great break.

Father's Day celebrations. (we got Ben a grill, and can't wait to use it)
I am so grateful for my dad, whose teachings, example and love, have helped make me who I am.
 
 I am also grateful for an amazing husband who is an excellent father, and chooses to be very involved with our children...

 

even if it means wearing dorky lazer tag helmets to please his sons.:)
 

Luke is starting to try to smile...any day now. We can't wait.

Mary had a great time talking with aunt Kelsey and Uncle Tyler as she learned to weed the garden.

I drove to Pocatello by myself with all four kids. We made it in once piece, after three stops.

I got the ok to start working out again, lightly. I mowed the lawn for my first work-out, and loved it!

My brother and sister-in-law had their first baby. Elias Wright Belnap. He is adorable and looks exactly like my brother.

Luke had a bath in the "grandma spa," complete with a towel lined sink, lavender bath lotion, a massage, and a view out the window.

The "good neighbors" from Colorado Springs, Mike and Mel, had their baby boy.  We are so happy for them and miss them so much.

Moved the guinea pig cage outside, and made a great big home for them. No more smell inside, and happy pigs outside. Hooray!

Luke loves to be snuggled and swaddled, but when he is awake, he prefers to stretch out on his back.

Mary and Sam continue Super Sports Camp, and have a great time.

We are loving summer and all it has to offer.

Life continues on, and is ever changing with a new baby and new schedules. Some moments are crazy, some are calm, some are stressful, some are peaceful, some are full of love and laughter, some are full of counting to ten and taking a deep breath.  Come what may, we are a family, and there is nothing else I would rather have.

Week 3

Mary and Sam attend a few days of "Super Sport Camp" at the rec center. 4 hours a day of sports, swimming and fun! Awesome break for mom, and great exercise for Mary and Sam. They love it!

Mom resumes piano lessons and has a new student.

Luke shows his true nature as an extremely good baby. He has a very calm and peaceful spirit about him and rarely cries other than when he is hungry.

Luke eats every two hours and is starting to get chubby cheeks and legs. So kissable!

Luke is circumcised, mom decides to watch this time, and ends up getting sick and has to sit down. ;)

Luke is 8 pounds.

William becomes a pro at the trampoline and the scooter.

Go through the usual ups and downs of adjusting to a new phase, and of course, hormones shifting back to normal.

First family night with our new fire pit. It was so much fun and we all had a great time being together in our own backyard, swinging on our swings and eating s'mores.

Mary starts a tumbling class at a gym close to home, and does four back hand springs in a row for the first time. Now she is working on her back hand spring back flip!

We are starting to find a routine again, and are kind of getting some sleep!

Ben is super dad and adjusts his work schedule as much as he can to help with everything.

Enjoying summer evenings outside in the front yard talking with neighbors and friends and soaking in the fun, relaxed summer schedule.

Headed to grandmas house for a weekend filled with family and Father's Day celebrations.

Week 2

Grandma was here, and it was wonderful, to say the least.
Daily Jamba Juice...tripple energy boost.
Figured out more with reflux and stomach issues. Got Luke comfortable. Hooray!
Sleep deprivation
Went on Mary's field trip hike, and had to call for a ride back home. (guess I am not back to normal yet, but loved being able to be with Mary and her school friends)
Lots of snuggles and kisses with Luke
My first few days alone with all 4 kids. A little scary, but going well.
Kind neighbors and friends offering to help.
Umbilical cord came off
Luke's first blow-out, and first bath.
Kids outing with grandma....food, toys, clothes, FUN!
Grandma left....tears.
Slowly getting into out new normal and new schedule.
 Celebrated mine and William's Birthday.
Blessed

Our Birthday

  William and I celebrated our Birthday yesterday. There is something so special about sharing this day with my little guy. It creates a neat bond between us.

It was the big 3-0 for me. I have been dreading this Birthday, but it actually wasn't that bad. I am excited for my 30's and for the phase of life we will be in. I think it will be great. I never would have imagined that I would have just had my 4th child by my 30th Birthday. Crazy! I feel very blessed.

William turned 2. He is such a happy, fun-loving boy. He has a very fun and contagious personality.

He loves to be outside, and spends about 6 hours a day out there romping around.  When he is actually inside, he is either watching Barney or Cars. His two favorites.

He is still a very big boy, and we kiss on his chub all the time.  He is big, but he is extremely coordinated. It is fun to watch him try new things. He recently figured out how to ride Sam's scooter. He talks extremely well, and he has an adorable little way of saying things.

William woke up to balloons and pancakes...two of his favorite things.

 

I woke up to a nice card from Ben and some jewelry and chocolate he got for me.

We kept the day low-key, because Ben and I are very sleep deprived at the moment.  It was also my first day alone with all of the kids.  Ben came home at 1:00 though, so it was manageable.  I am so grateful for his flexible job at times like this.

The day was filled with phone calls, messages, flowers and visits from friends and family. I felt very loved, and I know William did too.

Later in the evening we had pizza, cupcakes, and opened gifts. Ben surprised me with a fire pit for the backyard! I am so excited!

 

William got a Geotrax Christmas train, and literally yelled with excitement. It was hilarious and so adorable. 

We had a great Birthday together and it was a great time to remember what life really is all about.

Hospital Pictures

I finally got the computer to download the hospital pictures...here they are.

We love our Luke!

State Meet

Mary's Level 4 State Gymnastics meet was just a few days before we had the baby.
She did phenomenal!  She ended up taking 3rd on Vault and 4th All Around.
Gymnastics has been an amazing sport for her and she has learned and grown so much from it.
She is extremely talented in it, but that comes with a double edged sword.
In order to keep up with the pace she is going, the hours and money are getting out of control.
She is moving up the levels very quickly for her age and it is too hard for us to have our 7 yr old daughter
at the gym for what would now be 16 hours a week.
It was a VERY hard decision, but we have decided to have Mary be done with the sport.
She is sad to leave it, but so excited to now be able to do soccer, dance, swimming, tumbling, piano and all of the other things she hasn't been able to do.
It will be different not to have gymnastics in her life anymore, and even though it is very sad and hard to let her talent in the sport go, I feel that we have made the right decision for Mary and for our growing family. I am so proud of our little athlete.

Here are some pictures from the State Meet. Good job Mary girl!