My Girls

As much as I love having boys (and I really do), there is just something about having two little girls in my life.  I am already imagining all the fun mani/pedi dates, trips to the mall, dinners while the boys are at father/son camp outs, scouts and at conference priesthood session, laughing sessions together, and romance movie nights.  I have so many memories growing up that included my mom, sister and I together.  I can only hope that despite the eight year gap between these two, that they will be best friends for life. 

Right now Maddie is a little mother hen to Taylor and watches over her in the best way possible.  She just loves her little sister so much and cries when Taylor is sad.  She loves changing her diapers, singing to her, including her in whatever games the children are playing, she enjoys holding her and rocking her to sleep.  I keep reminding Maddie that although Taylor may not remember exactly everything she has done for her, she will remember the happy feelings she feels towards having such a loving and devoted sister.  

Maddie has been thrilled over the prospect of sharing a room with Taylor and was bursting with excitement the day we finally  transitioned her into the girl room.  She has been thrilled waking up with Taylor in her room every morning and being able to check on her before going to sleep at night.  This picture makes me laugh......Maddie apparently was having trouble falling asleep one night and so she decided to literally climb in bed with Taylor and fall asleep.  I found them both this way in her crib around 11pm when I came in to feed the baby before I went to sleep.  I did remind Maddie that it was important not to lay by the baby at night after this :)

Taylor has come a long way in the chub department.  She started out as a string bean, but has recently developed impressive leg and belly rolls.  None of us can get over how adorable she looks with rolls and big smiles combined together.

My kids are all equally obsessed with little girl clothes as I am.  Talk about trouble! Every time we go to a store that has baby clothes, the kids all gravitate to the little baby girl clothing and try to convince me to buy even more clothes that are "sooo cute".  This outfit is yet another one of our "ridiculously cute" purchases as of late.  I love how into the shopping experience even Robby can get when we get around baby clothes.  I have frequently had to purge our shopping cart at the check out line when I find 5-6 extra outfits worth of clothing that got tossed into the cart without my knowledge or approval.

Blueberry Pickin' Fun

 After a rather rocky and lonely start in Massachusetts, we are excited to have finally found some friends to get together with this month.  And because of that, another year here doesn't seem quite so bleak even with the impending winter months right around the corner.  This month we have been able to swim, play, laugh, play fight, girl talk, and now blueberry pick with our friends the Larsen's and Bischoff's. It is practically the perfect combination for our brood. Maddie is good friends with the Bischoff's oldest daughter Brooklyn and then all together we have five boys between the ages of 5 and 8 years old.  The other two families have daughters within a few months of each other (3-4 years old), there is one toddling little guy and then baby Taylor.   Good thing Carina will be having a little girl in only a few months as well, a perfect someday playmate for Taylor.  We are quite the group when we go places with eleven children between the three of us Mom's.  

Earlier this summer when we went home to Arizona it was so wonderful to see everyone there and have play dates with many of our old friends.  Unfortunately it also reminded of how isolated we are back East and it made it that much more difficult to come back.  These two families have made the transition so much easier this time around.  It's amazing how much easier life seems when you can laugh and talk about life with other adults even just once a week more than before.  

Another benefit to these gatherings is that Carina also happens to be a professional photographer and brings her fancy camera with her to capture these fun moments together.  And so I now have beautiful, stunning images to go along with my memory of the fun we had picking blueberries at "The Big Apple" orchard.  We will be back to pick apples and pumpkins later on this fall!

 Maddie and Brooklyn: "though she may be small, she is mighty"

-a quote I think of often when I see my petite little girl amidst much taller friends her age

 I couldn't say enough wonderful things about the Baby Bjorn.  I have had this one since Robby was born and used it countless times in those seven years.  It has never torn, ripped or malfunctioned.  And we are HARD on it, the carrier gets smashed in bags, stepped on in the car, carries babies in the rain, used on our bi-weekly trips to the grocery store, and it maintains itself beautifully. 

 This kid is a crack up, I love is semi-nakedness at all times

 The blueberries were fantastic, and we already used them all up.  Between blueberry muffins, fruit salad, blueberry pancakes, and a snack they were immensely enjoyed by all at our house

Quick trip to Hanover

After a fairly lackluster August and a tad bit of the blues following our amazing Arizona trip, we decided to head back up to the Upper Valley for a short visit with some good friends and to see some of our favorite places.  Needless to say, it involved leaving Saturday morning bright and early right after I worked a night shift at the hospital.  Why in the world do we somehow ALWAYS schedule our trips like this {note to self: never ever ever do that again.  It is never a good idea and leaves me rather cranky and tired the entire day and into the next as well, if I'm perfectly honest} 

Initially I had grand plans to take the kids to the Montshire Museum, go on a hike to Boston Lake, do blueberry picking, visit the Kostles and Pyfers, visit Dartmouth campus......you name it.  Unfortunately reality quickly set it and after the short 3 hour trip turned into a five hour drive due to some irritating traffic we had to make some adjustments with our schedule.  We did fit in a quick pit stop through our old beloved neighborhood "Sachem Village" and stopped for a few minutes at the lush, green soccer fields next to the neighborhood for a quick game of soccer {take note of Maddie's high heels that she plays sports in without even batting an eye}  As you can see, she never lets athletics get in the way of looking fashionable.

 By this time,  it was now afternoon and as previously stated I was exhausted! Luckily we were still able to fit in blueberry picking into the plans while Jesse went on an hour long run/hike.  The blueberries were tasty and just as plump and delicious as we had remembered.  It was a nice warm day, however we had a bit of a run in with the farms dogs that I fear may have ruined Robby's relationship with dogs in general, specifically with the larger ones.  As we were getting the berries weighed and preparing to pay, the kids were kind of running around and they saw two huge dogs near the back of the store.   My children have spent a lot of time around larger dogs and therefore have a somewhat unhealthy fearlessness towards these animals.  Maddie and Robby both went right over to them and must have somehow spooked them.  The next few moments were a bit hazy, as the dogs began to bark and run after the kids.  This resulted in them screaming and running with the dogs chasing them in turn.  Maddie was the quickest and jumped over behind the cash register area, and Eli was the furthest away and ran away screaming and crying.  Robby ended up nearest them and was terrified as the barked and snapped at him.  The owners tried to grab onto the leashes and calm the two dogs down but one of them took off after Robby and ended up nipping him right above his right hip.  We think that one of the teeth nicked him, but it did break the skin.  My poor boys were both hysterical and shaking after the incident.  The owners were apologetic and felt terrible about what had happened.  They promptly announced that our berries were free of charge and that the animals had never behaved like this before.

After I got the children calmed down enough, they each took turns coming back up to their large white dog and petting him while the owners held on tight.  Thanks to gymnastics, I learned that when you get hurt you should always try it one more time so that they won't be as scared in the future.  Even though Robby did come up and very reluctantly pet the dog, he is now terrified of all dogs, and gets very scared if they bark at all around him.  I am hoping with time, he will feel more calm and comfortable around them again.

After this scary incident, we headed over to visit our friends Bryan and Catherine Pyfer, as well as meet back up with Jesse.  It was so fun to cuddle and visit little miss Charlotte.  She is the newest member of the Pyfer family and a measly 4 weeks old.  She is teeny tiny small, all girly, and super snuggly.  The kids couldn't get enough of her and it was unreal to think Taylor was tiny like that only a few months ago.  It makes me so sad to think that we both finally have babes around the same age and yet we no longer live near each other. 

We capped off our day by eating at one of our favorite restaurants while living in New Hampshire....Moe's.  Or as Eli always says "Welcome to Moe's!!!!!"  Later that evening Jesse went off to visit some old school friends, while I happily tucked in for the night with the kids.    

The next day we made plans to attend our church that we went to in New Hampshire but we had a little bit of time to spare midday.  We decided to stop by the beautiful Connecticut river and go on a short walk around the area.  It was as beautiful as we remembered it and we were able to reminisce about some of our favorite times.  We also took the time to take a few pictures at this lookout, including the one below of Taylor and I.  We then headed over for sacrament meeting where we were able to reconnect with some of our old friends (Kostle family, Pyfer's again, Morgan family, etc) before heading back down to Walpole.  Although I was tired, it was a fun low key weekend.  It hasn't been easy transitioning to living in Massachusetts but I am grateful that we live close enough to go up and visit New Hampshire fairly regularly and that we can still stay connected with grad school friends!

Cape Cod

After returning home from Arizona, we (okay maybe I) was so exhausted from the craziness of being on vacation that I was content to hang low for a few weeks.  After that I started to get antsy and knew I needed to plan something fun to do with the children.  With Jesse busy at work every day, I braved the crowds and traffic and decided to head to Cape Cod for the day.

It was quite the adventure to say the least.  I learned many lessons about this trip.

Number one: leave MUCH earlier in the morning.  We slowly packed up for our trip and really didn't leave Walpole until around 11am and stopped at the gas station and Subway before really leaving.  That was much too late.  By the time we arrived, the beach we were originally planning on going to was jam packed already and all the non resident parking was taken.  We were told to park 2 miles away and walk down to the beach. Ummmm okay, with four kids that was not happening.  Luckily we drove farther down the coast and managed to find a beach where we only had to wait a measly 40 minutes in the car to park.  Thank goodness it was also time to feed Taylor and so I was able to take care of that while waiting in line to park the car.

  Number two: be prepared for crazy traffic driving to Cape Cod in the summer.  I seriously was not prepared for zero open parking spaces at the first 10 beaches we stopped at.  I also was not prepared for the sheer volume of people at the beach.  It was just plain nuts.

Number three: make sure you fully charge your phone battery before leaving for a day trip to the beach.  Also bring your phone charger in the car.  About 30 minutes after leaving I realized my phone was only at 20% charge AND I failed to bring a car charger.  We ended up needing to stop at a random gas station just outside the cape when my phone went dead.  It was quite the project getting it charged, turned back on, and the map back up so I could continue to navigate the vehicle.

Number four: an ocean is NOT a great place to take your phone swimming.  I placed my phone in the small bag on my shoulder and decided to take Taylor on a stroll in the tide.  At one point the waves were coming in and she nearly jumped out of my arms.  In the struggle to keep from dropping her, my bag was accidentally dropped in the water instead.  I scrambled to grab the bag, but unfortunately my phone went partially under. I was able to turn it off right away, but some damage was already done.  It was then another project trying to get back home with no phone.

Number five: be prepared for lots of laugh and fun with the children.  It always amazes me how well they all play together once we reach the beach.  Although the boys typically share a volatile relationship, all competitiveness seems to get forgotten in the open area.  They seem to all forego their differences and spend hours as a team collecting crabs, shells, seaweed and anything else unique they can find!

Baby Taylor Christine: 2 months

I was several days late capturing this little beauty for her 2 month birthday.  By the time I got around to it, we had already headed up to New Hampshire's white mountains for our family cabin retreat.  For some reason, the lighting wasn't working the way I had envisioned it and after 20+ picture attempts Taylor wasn't too interested in appearing happy.  Finally I laughed and decided this photo was the keeper of the bunch.  

2 month doctors appointment stats:

Weight: 9.5 pounds (10th percentile)

Length: 23 in long (75th percentile)

Taylor loves to snuggle when it's time for naps or bed time otherwise she prefers facing outward and being a part of whatever is going on.  She loves to smile with her tongue sticking out, especially after eating.  Her neck is getting much stronger these days and she loves to push away from whoever is holding her and bob her head around to take in a better view.  Taylor isn't too excited about extending her time between feedings at night.  Most nights she prefers to continue her every 3 hour routine.....but that is going to be changing quick over the next month as Mom introduces "sleep training".  Taylor continues to be small but mighty but has finally starting packing on the pounds over the last month after a rather slow start.  She loves warm baths and HATES cold water.  Taylor prefers lounging poolside with Mom over any swimming or dipping toes for that matter.  She reserves some of her biggest smiles for her big sister who is our baby whisperer and has a knack for getting Taylor to go to sleep and stop screaming in the car.  Which reminds me....Taylor HATES her car seat with a passion.  As in screaming for entire car rides hate.  The only things that can get her to stop is falling asleep from crying so hard and Maddie.  We just chuckle and have told the rest of the kids she is working on strengthening her lungs.  Speaking of siblings, Robby can be crazy wild and rough, but he has this totally polar opposite side to him when it comes to his baby sister.  Only she can get him to sing lullabies and sit quietly in a chair rocking her.  He seriously melts around her, which warms all of our hearts.  And Eli will randomly walk over and pat her head and give her kisses and say "Hello Baby Tay Tay".  Oh baby T, we love you so!!

Preschool complete, check

At the end of the school year, we were thrilled to receive this cute booklet documenting the year of preschool with a few images.  Eli was so excited to show us all his friends in the pictures, and we had quite the conversation about each and every photo captured.  I am sure this will be a great reminder in years to come of a great last year of preschool for this little guy.  I am so proud of how friendly he is with his friends.  His teachers consistently commented on how kind he was to other children and how he made an effort to play with everyone! Way to go Eli!

Baby Taylor Christine: newborn photo shoot

After waiting so long to have another child, it was hard to imagine how any baby would fit into our chaotic, loud, always exciting household of three active children.  They are always on the go, running, jumping, spilling, laughing, crying, fighting, playing, creating, occasionally yelling, singing, dancing, and mess making.  I wasn't sure if they would be completely thrown off kilter with someone so delicate and little.

Luckily, I ended up having nothing to worry about.  This little one has brought an additional element of peace, kindness, and gentleness even to the roughest of our boys.  They all love her to pieces and never complain about the small inconveniences that go along with having a small baby (nursing sessions in the car,  sometimes being late to events, needing to be quiet when she is sleeping, having to wait for Mom to read stories at night, not always having my undivided attention, helping with more chores around the house......well maybe they complain every now and again about the chores but you get the picture). 

We had a good friend from our branch come over and help take Baby T's newborn picture when she was a mere two weeks old and I am so glad we did!  I always love seeing the rapid growth and transformation that occurs in babies from birth on.  

Right now some of our favorite nicknames for Taylor include: Baby T, Princess T, Little T, Tay-Tay, Tayto-Potato, Taytor Tot, Tayto, Tayters, Little Smidge, Peanut, Mini-Maddie.

So thank you Baby Taylor for coming to our home and for the opportunity we have to be your family.  Robby summed it up perfectly in his prayer tonight at bedtime: "please bless Baby Taylor to always be happy and know that we love her"