my in-laws

when i saw this photo i smiled that inside way down in my soul kind of smile.

amanda took it at g's birthday party.

this photo captures the spirit of my in-laws in a way that words cannot.

i love it. (and them ;)

frog boots

somebody got some new frog boots for Christmas from grandma & grandpa.

g is currently in LOVE with boots, so the timing was perfect.

i love this photo...the ridiculousness of g's chocolate face, choice of outfit, goofy expression & toddler pudge combined with luci's melting in the background reveal a great deal about the dynamics of our home these days...

hugh @ 1 month

anyone else thinking of ed grimley?

a month already. holy moly. i'd say i've been lucky enough to receive two social smiles at this point. one a week ago yesterday, and then again a few days ago. he's starting to track really well with his eyes, and he's crazy strong. strong neck, and already putting weight on his legs (to express his discomfort with gas or reflux usually). he's quite a chill baby, and really only cries when he's in pain - which is unfortunately more often than i'd like it to be. at 2.5 weeks he was diagnosed with reflux & we went right to prevacid which seems to be helping in that regard. he's still crazy gassy, which i know is due to my oversupply of milk & my overactive letdown. i'll appreciate these things in a few months when i can nurse him in 15 minutes, but for now he's not ready to drink from the milk fire hose so the poor thing is often in pain. i've started block feeding (only one side per feeding) & i'm hoping that will help.


his first blow out poo was earlier today. he has yet to sleep more than 3 or so hours consecutively. he seems to have very little differentiation between night & day. some nights are not so bad considering he's eating every three hours (easy feed, easy burp, back to sleep in less than an hour), and some nights i see every hour on the clock. luckily with mom here i've been managing naps most days.

no babies were harmed in the making of the above photo ;)

i love my kiddos

but i'm pretty much exhausted by them 24/7 these days. even the nights that used to be rejuvenating now belong to hugh. but time will march on, regardless of how well rested i am. and one day i'll be up nights for a very different reason...be it driving or dating or both...and finally now with kiddo #3 i realize it'll be here before i know it. kindergarten registration is in like 2 months! go ahead...just try to mention luci going to kindergarten without me bursting into tears. so i'm doing the best i can. there is a shortage of patience, a lot of tears, more yelling than i'd like to admit (from all parties), and for sure more tv than needed, yet time keeps marching on. hugh is already a month old.

my mom leaves tomorrow. she's been here since a few days before hugh's birth, with the exception of a 3ish day reprieve covered by grandma pierse. i'm sure she's ready to go. i'm sure i'll cry when i drop her off at the airport tomorrow like i do every time she leaves me post partum. words cannot even begin to express my gratitude for her willingness to stay & help us for over a month. mom, you are simply the best. dad, thanks for sharing her. i'm so, so blessed & grateful.

clay & i will be on our own with the kiddos from monday afternoon until wedenesday when his parents arrive for Christmas and to see me through the six week mark when it's safe for me to lift gus into his crib again. i'm excited for that. i miss putting the little nutter to bed all by myself.

physically i'm progressing. i have hugh's birth story post started, but it is long. i'd say i'm about 80% most of the time, and have been since 2.5 weeks or so. but i've sort of plateaued and that is bumming me out. that said, the double ear infection & sinus infection i was diagnosed with last week probably wasn't helping. luckily i'm a few days into antibiotics & starting to feel better in that regard.

and now i'll stop rambling & try to quickly post some photos before i hear i'm needed. big kids are hiking with dad & baby is sleeping in the chair with grammy. it's pretty rare that i do anything other than sleep when i'm not needed, but with short windows i'm going to try to be better about posting :)

Lu's Christmas Program

my angel :)

The Lu's last program at Good Shepherd. She's been practicing singing the songs at the top of her lungs for over a month now....pretty much all day. She's a singer ;) I adore this preschool & what they teach...my favorite song by far has to be Happy Birthday, Jesus!. You can't help but feel joy in your heart when 100+ kiddos joyfully sing Happy Birthday Jesus super loud.

Makes me smile just thinkin 'bout it.

g's christmas party

i read the kiddos three Christmas stories, they sort of decorated a cookie (ie, ate the frosting) & then hung out. a perfect party for the 2ish year old set!

st. lucia day

The day of Saint Lucia in Scandinavia is an essential part of Christmas in Scandinavia.
Each year on December 13, Saint Lucia is celebrated widely with candlelight and traditional candle-lit processions. Lucia herself was Christian and died for her faith. The December 13 holiday honors her.
The eldest girl in the family portrays St Lucia, puts on a white robe in the morning and is allowed to wear a crown full of candles. She serves her parents Lucia buns and coffee or mulled wine.
In church, women sing the traditional St Lucia song which describes how Saint Lucia overcame the darkness and found light. Each of the Scandinavian countries has similar lyrics, in their native tongues.
In Scandinavian history, the night of St.Lucia was known to be the longest night of the year (winter solstice) which was changed when the Gregorian calendar was reformed.
During a dark winter in Scandinavia, the idea of light overcoming darkness, and the promise of returning sunlight has been welcomed by the locals for hundreds of years. The celebrations and processions on Saint Lucia Day are illuminated by thousands of candles.
As many say, it wouldn't be Christmas in Scandinavia without Saint Lucia Day.

Grandma Pierse was very thoughtful & made sure Lu had a special St. Lucia day. We forgot about the white dress we had planned to wear, but Lu didn't mind. I have photos of Lu & Grandma Pierse making scones, but it is on my other memory card - to be continued!

gus quotes

scene: watching tv. a sofia vergara covergirl commercial comes on.

gus: "cute. cute! CUTE! hug her? i hug her? peeeeaaaassse?"

at least we know he has good taste, right?

scene: the bathroom. luci had just gone, and i was having a turn as well. gus bursts in.

gus: "i try? i try this.potty. right.now. i try this potty peeeeaaaase?"

if only i were ready to potty train. but i'm not. so he sat on the potty with the lid closed. and i taught him to flush. we'll see how long that pacifies his potty wishes.

my three peas

ms. amanda lemme borrow her fancy camera! i still don't have the eye that she does, but man it sure was fun to play around & get photos like this...especially given that the nearly two year old was dive bombing the blanket non-stop...