Five Months Old!

Ellie is five months old today and what a little cutie! We just love having this easy-going girl around and we think she likes us too!  Cooper and Penny are really good at making her laugh and entertaining her when Mama is busy.

At five months Ellie:

• Weighs 14 lbs and is 24 1/4 inches long. 
• Eats every 3 to 4 hours during the day and sometimes once in the middle of the night.  
• Takes three naps a day.  One in the morning, one in the middle of the day, and one in the late afternoon.
• Still sleeps swaddled up in her bouncy seat.  Mama doesn't see any reason to mess around with that reflux business.
• Drools all the time and teethes on everything in her reach.  There are no signs of any teeth yet.
• Gets nervous when people other than Mama want to hold her, though she is starting to go to Daddy and Ma-Mas more easily.
• Reaches for Mama's or Daddy's face when we hold her.
• Has discovered that her feet make great teething toys.
• Likes to sit with her ankles crossed.
• Mostly says "mmmmmmm" when she wants to talk but occasionally will let out an "ah!" or "ga!"
• Experienced her first Mother's Day and Easter.
• Traveled to the ranch, the lake house, Boerne, and to Houston to visit Nonnie and the cousins.  

Cooper takes time out from swimming to keep Ellie company.

Penny just had to have her picture taken with Ellie!

Getting Ready to Roll (Outta Here!)

Over the weekend we spent a day pouring over our new house; checking things out, moving stuff in, and making plans.  Well, the parents did those things.  The kids mostly ran wild through an empty house and drove the parents crazy.  Their excitement couldn't be subdued and I spent a few moments thinking about what a big move must be like for them.  They are young and so this is just one big fun adventure for them.  They have none of the stress or strain for which I am grateful.  This is also a unique experience, as they will never be these tender ages and moving in to this house ever again.  

Our first day in our new house!

Look at my "house" Cooper!

They fell right at home in the new playroom...once we opened a few boxes for them.

This little one was a good sport all day long, letting Mama and Daddy work!

First lunch in the new house.

Penny tries out the porch swing.

We took a break to swim in the pool for the first time!

A New View

Evening view we have enjoyed for 4+ years. 

Soon our family history will be marked by a major event.  An event not quite as large as the birth of each child, but prominent just the same.  In a few weeks, we will be moving away from the coast to live in the Texas Hill Country.  The Hill Country has been calling to us for some time now, and we are finally at a place where we can act!  We have many fond memories of our time here...I grew up here, David and I married here, and each of our sweet kids were born here.   All of these events were coupled with great friends and family whom we are sad to move away from.  After over 10 years and three different houses later we are excited to embark on a new adventure and fulfill part of a dream!  It feels for David and I as if we are hitting the "reboot" button on our life and we are excited to continue raising our kids in such a beautiful place! 

Our new view!  How could we resist?

Scenes From a Perfect Mother's Day...2014

Cooper and Penny were thrilled when we decided to spend the day with Ma-mas, Pa-Pa, and Uncle Clint at the ranch.  After opening my gifts from Daddy and the kids, I got the added gift of being with our family and watching happy kids have fun.

Cooper spends some rare contemplative time on the porch.  No sooner did I get this shot, however, that he was off and running again.

Someone please tell me what we are to do with this pink mess! I do really love that she lets me take her picture!

And then this sweet baby!  This was my first Mother's Day as a mother of three and I really enjoyed it.  After a day of family at the ranch my body was tired but my heart was full.  I am pretty darn lucky to be the Mama of this crew!

This is the Way We Start Our May

The school year is rapidly coming to an end.  Cooper's class got to go on a field trip on May 1st and had "Crazy Sock Day" the next day.  He is going through a "not cooperate for Mom and her camera" phase.

After "crazy sock day" we headed up to Houston to visit Nonnie and go to cousins' Brayden and Brycen's birthday parties.  Cooper LOVED the blow-up water slide, though in this picture he is still a little uncertain.

Penny chose not to go down the big slide, but had fun in the baby pool and the flooded yard that was created from the water slide at Aunt Amanda's house.

After a big day of watching Brayden play soccer, two birthday parties, and no naps, we were glad to get the kids back to Nonnie's for a quiet evening.  Ellie is teething!  She did not sleep well on Friday night or during the day on Saturday.  Luckily she did on Saturday night!

We are in the count down now!  22 days until summer!

Four Months Old!

We have reached the four month mark of having our Ellie with us!  This little baby is no slouch, having reached several milestones all in a month.  Not only can she roll over from her back to her tummy, she can push herself up on her arms and hold up her head!  Ellie will also play in the exersaucer for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, even if we have to snug her in there with blankets.  She also makes the "mmmmm" sound and Daddy swore she said "mama" the other day.  For Mom her biggest accomplishment is she is now sleeping through the night (most of the time)!  Ellie also celebrated her first Easter and got to meet many family members including Ma-mas' sisters Aunt Ida and Aunt Lisa and her brother-in-laws Uncle Barney and Uncle John.  

Pretty soon I am going to get on that crawling thing!

I like this new perspective!

Yesterday Ellie got a clean bill of health at her well baby check up and received three shots.  She only cried a little bit, though Mama felt like crying herself.  She weighed in at 13 pounds, 6 oz. and measured 24 inches long.  This puts her in the 34th and 26th percentiles, respectively.  I find this interesting because though she was much bigger than her brother and sister when she was born, she is in a lower percentile than both of them at this age.  However! We are extremely glad she is healthy and growing!

Fun at the park!

Easter at the Ranch

We celebrated Easter this year by spending the weekend at the ranch with members of Ma-mas' side of the family.  Ma-mas, Pa-Pa, and Uncle Clint were there, along with Aunt Ida and Uncle Barney and Aunt Lisa and Uncle John.  We all had a blast enjoying the outdoors, the weather, and all the great food.   Cooper and Penny had the most fun of course, as was evident when they took long naps on Saturday afternoon.  Ellie slept through a lot of her first Easter, but there were lots of extra hands to hold her when she was awake.  

All the girls go for a walk on Saturday morning.

Ellie plays in the pack-n-play on the porch.

Saturday night prep for Easter...dying eggs! Penny only wanted to make pink ones of course.  Cooper liked to make yellow ones, though he liked Pa-Pa's "john deere" egg of yellow and green.

Penny hunts eggs in her pjs, "lucky" hat, and of course those pink boots.

Penny and Pa-Pa discuss egg hunting.  This shot reminded me of a picture I took of these two on Penny's first Easter.

Cascarones (Confetti eggs)!!  Daddy demonstrated to the kids how to break the cascarones by smashing one on his head.  The kids then started smashing them on their own heads, instead of others' heads.  Funny how literal kids can be!

Elvis the dog photobombed the kids' Easter basket picture!

Yay for Ellie's first Easter!

Its as if this kid was born to be at the ranch.  His little self just shines when we are here.

April Catch-up

The month of April is proving to be just busy busy for us.  A few highlights of the month so far include a trip to visit our friends in Houston, complete with a visit to the Children's Museum.  Cooper and Penny also loved playing with Grayson's toys and radio flyer "roller coaster" toy. We also had a family day-turned-overnight trip to the Ranch.  Pa-pa's cousins were having a reunion at the ranch which was fun to be a part of.  Penny enjoyed showing and asking everyone if they liked her pink boots.  Cooper had fun running all OVER the place and took a particular liking to my uncle, or "Mr. Wally" as he called him.  

First up...Ellie!  This little baby is the picture of perfect behavior.  She still sleeps a lot during the day, which makes it easy for us to go and do!  On top of that, she has started sleeping through the night most nights, which sets up Mom to be in a fantastic mood!

Penny liked the water exhibit of the museum best.

I think Cooper did too!

Grayson, Penny and Cooper check things out.

And later, the Ranch...

Uncle Eric, Jocelyn, Penny, and Cooper play on the swing.

Actually got this stinker to turn around for a picture!

Ma-mas and Penny take a morning walk...Penny in her pjs and pink boots.

A boy and his jeep.

Ma-mas and Penny take a break.

Is it Just Me...

or do we have some good-looking kids??

Happy Spring Everyone!

March Notes

Just a few notes I wanted to record now that March is nearly over:

A funny thing Cooper said this week:  

Coop was pretending that David was working at Starbucks from whom he ordered coffee and cake pops.  Then Cooper told me it was my turn.  I said, "So it's my turn to be the barista?"  Cooper replied, "Yes, and Daddy is the baris-man."

The twins...

A funny thing Penny did this week:

This morning as I nursed Ellie, Penny sat on the couch next to me and nursed and burped her beloved baby doll, complete with lifted shirt and all. Afterwards the exclaimed, "Ellie!  That was a big burp!" (Her baby doll used to be named "pink baby" but her name has been changed to Ellie.)

Isn't she lovely?

A funny thing Ellie did this week:

She rolled over!  (For the first time!) Then she proceeded to get mad because she was on her stomach and couldn't get back!

Ellie on her SECOND visit to Chuck E. Cheese...guess that is part of the gig of being a baby that runs around with preschoolers.