Gordon and Ella's 1st Piano Recital

Recital

First Piano Recital

So proud of Gordon and Ella!!! They did a great job at their recital.

People always ask

Whenever you have a baby people always ask, "so how is it with _____ (fill in the blank) kids?" What is the hardest? My answer up to this point has always been 3. 3 was hard for me. I had more children than hands, Keni and I were outnumbered, they were all pretty small, there are a lot of reasons why it was hard. Now I have 5 children and it has been hard. I feel like I am drowning sometimes. There are so many things I need to do and yet I have no time or energy to do them. 5 little people need me and while I am trying my best, I feel like it isn't good enough. I feel bad that I can't be doing more with my older kids, taking them to places and activities. I keep thinking, "maybe next year". Yet, at the same time, I feel bad when we are on the go, and my baby spends the whole day in her car seat. I know it has only been a month, things will get easier and better, but this is how I feel right now.

I have also come to the realization, that it isn't the number of kids that makes things hard. I'm sure this isn't true for everyone, but for me I think what is hardest is having a little girl toddler and a new baby. Notice I said girl toddler and not just toddler. I think 3 and 5 kids have been hardest for me because both times I had a 2 year old girl and a new baby. Somehow, having a little boy toddler and a baby wasn't nearly as hard (I've done this twice as well). My boys have been high-energy, rough and tumble, jumping on the furniture kind of 2 year olds, but my girls are CRAZY at this age. They are into everything, they follow me everywhere, they want to do everything I am doing, all the time.

Look at how beautiful they are.





You can see some of the crazy though too, right? Wish me luck.

Sweet Baby Girl

My Sweet baby girl is one month old today.

She really is the sweetest baby.

She isn't a fussy baby.

She only cries when she is hungry.

She makes the cutest little noises when she is eating and sleeping. Her noises reminds me of a little elephant.

She has baby acne really bad right now. Poor girl.

She is growing so fast.

She is getting chubby.

She likes to sleep with mommy.

She gets LOTS of attention from her older siblings, especially Jace & Lia, it is so hard for them to leave her alone.

She hates taking baths.

She is so precious.

She has my heart.

I don't know what I would do without him

I don't know what I would do without him. I felt this way after baby *1 but now that we are at baby #5, I feel it even more so. Things have been a little rough lately. Between being 9 months pregnant, giving birth, developing Mastitis (and feeling like death) and then having a severe allergic reaction to the medicine I was taking, I haven't exactly been at the top of my game lately.

And that is where this guy comes in. He has stepped up, taken over, cared for me and the kids, and the house, all without complaining. They say marriage is supposed to be 50/50. Lately around here I feel like it has been more 80/20. I am trying, I really am, but this time it seems like it is taking me longer to get back on my feet. Every time I start thinking okay, I can do this, another major setback comes along. And Keni just takes it all in stride and takes over. He is calm and he never makes me feel bad or like I am falling short, even when he comes home to a house in shambles, kids bouncing off the roof and a wife laying on the couch moaning with a crying baby in her arms.

I love him for that, and for a million other reasons.

Addie at one week You scrunch up your forehead just like Gordon did. You looked like Jace when you were first born. It takes you a few minutes to latch on but once you do you are a champion nurser. You are not afraid of the older kids or the loud noises around our house. You are my first girl to take a binky. You love to suck. You didn't have to go get checked for jaundice. My first baby to not have to. You don't fuss much but you go from fine to mad very quickly.

You have really hairy ears. You are darker than your sisters were at this age.

Your face is already getting chubby. You are perfect. We love you so.

First Day of School

Well, we survived the first week of school. It was hard to go back because we have had such great summer, but it does feel good to get back on a regular schedule. This year Gordon and Ella started a brand new school, which is exciting and a little scary at the same time. The good thing is everyone at the school is new, not just them and there are some kids that they know. Jace had to wait until Thursday to start preschool and that was tough. He was so excited and ready to go.

My 4th Grader

My 2nd grader

My preschooler

Things she does right now that I don't want to ever forget

It melts my heart every time she says, "I wanna hold ja", I mean who could resist that? I certainly can't, even when she says it at the most inopportune times.

When someone is holding her and she wants to be put down she says, "put down me" or "get down me".

The other day she and Ella were taking a bath and Keni and I could hear her chanting, "oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah" over and over again.

If she is annoyed with me, or wants me to move or something she says, "cuse me mom, cuse me."

The other day we were jumping on the tramp. She and Jace were doing tricks for me and she said, "I ninja mom, I ninja!"

She is very bossy, she loves to boss her brothers, her parents, her cousin Taio, really anyone she can. We often hear, "come here right now, sssssh quiet, no talking and don't touch."

When she is on the swing or going on a ride on the Ranger she will often say, "hold on tight".

She started talking much earlier than any of our other kids and we are often amazed at how well she speaks. She is also a total mimic. You better watch what you say in front of her because you often hear it repeated right back to you.

Another thing that she just started saying is, "I said no!!!" in a very authoritative voice.

The other day she heard her cousins say, "oh snap!" and she said it back.

Unfortunately she has learned a few inappropriate words from her older siblings. One such word is stupid. I was trying to teach that stupid is a bad word and that we don't say it at our house. I haven't had much luck though. Now when anyone hurts her feelings or does something she doesn't like she says, "he bad word me," often they didn't say anything at all to her. So, she doesn't understand what bad word means even though she knows how to use the word stupid perfectly.

One night we put her in her bed and she started crying as she often does. I was shocked though a few minutes later when I heard her say clear as can be, "Dad I want to talk to you."

I know that I have already forgotten some of the other adorable things she says, but at least I got these ones recorded.

She is such a happy, fun, spunky little girl. She makes everyday more fun.