Happiness

I feel like we've been gone a month - and its only been a week!  We have had a full week of quality family time starting with my sister-in-law Rachel's wedding!  Beautiful ceremony overlooking a lake.  We have enjoyed getting to know, "Mr. A-Ron"  (now Uncle Aaron) and he seems to be quite a funny character that keeps us all laughing!  Welcome to the family, Aaron.  We gained a new brother-in-law/uncle this weekend!  We wish them all the happiness in the world that they both deserve!  

"I feel pretty!  Oh so pretty!  I feel pretty and witty and bright!  And I pity any girl who isn't me tonight!"

Mr. and Mrs. Findley with the Miley's!  (mattox was just a little mad, can you tell?)

stud muffin

thing 1, thing 2 and thing 3

Party of 5!

Sweet cousins!

stretching his jaw and getting frustrated at all the cameras

"but his tie is so much fun to play with!"

me and my man

Daddy and his Golden Girls!  

Matt must have been still in his "night" phase of working...because he felt the urge to leave for our beach vacation IMMEDIATELY after the wedding = 11:00 pm.  As much as I hated the drive in the car and not being able to sleep, it was worth not stopping for gas, bathrooms, or food.  Kids slept for the most part and we made it to Rosemary Beach, FL in exactly 6 hours at 5:00 am!!! 

Merritt did WONDERFUL at the beach, which was unexpected.  She slept 10 hours straight the first night, followed by 2 more nights of at least 8 hours straight!  I'm not sure what the beach has over her, but I am seriously considering moving to the beach if it can induce a sleep coma for her!  I couldn't tell you how happy I was!  Of course the first night back home...and she was awake every 4 hours again as usual.  What is up with that?  What did the beach do that I'm not doing here at home?   Will post her 11 month update later (11 months old today).

We met up with our friends from St. Louis, the Hennon's, who have twins the same age as MC.  It was nice to catch up and the kids had a blast!  Mattox never got in the water so there aren't many pics of him.  He pretty much stayed terrified the entire time and was not in a good mood (because he was constantly looking over his shoulder afraid someone might try to throw him in).   We couldn't get MC out of the water!  

Matt and I celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary while we were there!  We've been together for 11 years.   Time flies! Nana let us go out to dinner after we got back last night so we managed to squeeze in our favorite restaurant without kids!  Thank you, Nana!    

I LOVED Rosemary Beach and would highly recommend!  Can't wait to go back!  The beach makes everyone happy!

Our beach house rental!  Andalusia.  love.love.love!

First day on the beach! She loved the sand.

But we kept her in the shade for most of it.  

little diva.  about to be 6 going on 16.

her chocolate cake that was almost bigger than she was.

Thanks to Kim Stone for snapping family pics again!  Can't wait to see the rest!

one of my favorite pics of the entire week.  I took this one on our last night.  

super happy baby.  #beachbabe

.....AND now back to reality at home!  Back to not sleeping or eating as well for Mitt.  Back to a house FULL of dirty laundry - which will take me all week to get done I think.  Back to VBS at church and swim lessons for the rest of the summer.  I'm happy to be home and sleeping in my own bed again.

Mattchew

"I love ya more than my luggage!"

Happy Birthday to the hubs today!  We all love you babe!  

Mati Claire - age 5!

I wouldn't be a good mommy if I didn't document the last day of Kindergarten for Mati Claire. Its a bittersweet day I guess... more bitter than sweet for me though.  We are SO sad to be leaving Mrs. Landfair's class.  We have loved every minute of it.  Mati Claire has learned more than I ever knew she would in 1 year (more than I did in Kindergarten I think).  Public school proved to be awesome when I had so many concerns before we started.  As much as I would love to keep her in Kindergarten forever, I know she is growing up and I love having a more independent first grader now!  She is a huge help to me now and such a little momma.  Poor Mattox has 2 mothers now.  She has made a few new friends, but I'm still struggling with the fact that Clinton doesn't keep the same kids in the same class from year to year.  She will have an entire new class of friends next year - and only see the friends she made this year at recess or in the cafeteria.  I did not grow up like that so I'm still adjusting.  I had basically the same friends from Kindergarten through 10th grade!  She still misses Claire (her BFF that moved away) and I pray everyday that she will find new friends like that in each new class.  Her best friend is Brooke that we see almost everyday I think - and they are not in class together, so it does prove Clinton right - that you can keep friends forever that aren't in school together.  Right, Erica?  ;)

Anyway, we are looking forward to FIRST GRADE!  I feel like we are turning a corner at my house - I don't have ALL babies in the house now!  The only thing that made yesterday sweeter, is knowing that "I'LL BE BACK!"  Theres a line of Miley's behind Mati Claire!  Hopefully we will have Mrs. Landfair again!  For some reason, I haven't gotten too emotional with MC...she loves it so much and is excited that its hard for me to be sad around her.  I've had a few moments though:

• Watching her walk inside the school by herself carrying a backpack bigger than she was on the first week of school (=downpour of tears)
• When she learned to tie her own shoelaces.  Yes, I didn't cry but wanted to.  
• When she read her first book all by herself.  One of my proudest moments to date.  
• The last day of Kindergarten.  Why am I crying?  She loves school.  

"I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry"

Ok I cried.  Last day of Kindergarten.  (could possibly be her First Grade teacher holding her hand - hehe ;))  We love our Miss Rachel Miss McFarland! 

I will NOT miss this for approx 2 1/2 months!

So proud of my girl for staying on "green" the entire last 9 weeks!

We changed ballet school this year - and as much as I hate the drive, I was pleased with the end result!  The recital was amazing last night and my little ballerina did great!  They were the "Good Choice" in the story of the Merchant and the Thief.    

Brooke, MC, and Wellsley.   Be still my heart!  Love this one! 

At her "celebration dinner", Jerry's Catfish per her request.  She ate 6 pieces of fish plus some!

She will be 6 soon and that's ALL she talks about. Being a "6th grader" (which she really means a First Grader but she'll be 6 so she's a little confused on technicalities.) 

I love you, Mati Claire!  I am so proud of you!  And I love that you are nothing like me... it keeps me on my toes!  You are hilarious and you keep surprising me! I love you!  

Its Almost Here!

that being SUMMER!  Is anyone else's summer calendar FULL already?  How did that happen?  Starting to wonder if I should be thankful we are still in school - because summer looks pretty busy - but fun nonetheless.

It starts off with a bang! MC's ballet recital followed by Matt's birthday followed by his sister's wedding followed by a week at the beach!  As in the words of Phil Robertson, I am "happy happy happy!"  Then VBS, swim lessons, birthday parties, the kids will spend a week at Gigi's (minus Merritt who has 2 doctor appointments that week), and every weekend in between at the lake!  Ah!  Life is good!  Can't wait!

Has anyone else ever had an anorexic baby btw?  Seriously.  She does not LIKE to eat.  She has discovered Puffs (or stars, or whatever you want to call the little dissolvable cracker-type things)... and she has turned her nose up to baby food.  I have to hide the puffs out of sight to get her to eat even a few bites of anything else.  I really shouldn't be surprised - she is identical to Mati Claire (who is the pickiest eater alive).  Guess Mattox has spoiled me in the food department and I seemed to have forgotten what I dealt with when MC was a baby...... oh yeah, now I remember!  Geez - how did I get so lucky to have TWO identical children without having twins?

I had a stranger pass me today - and tell [me] Merritt "Momma just needs to fatten you up!"   um... lets not go there please.  it might get ugly.  I know she was a stranger and she had no clue what we/Merritt has gone through.  But words to the wise:  do not mention weight to strangers!  that's up there with politics, religion, and taxes!  Overweight, underweight, pregnant - just don't let things fly out of your mouth without thinking!  Because you never know what that person is going through!  It's not like I don't realize she is in the 2.88% for weight!  And if you can do a better job at fattening an O baby up - please share your expertise!  lol!!! There are at least 600 other mothers who love to hear as well!  ;)

Ok.  there's my rant for the day.  Let me put my mind back on the summer thoughts.... summer, swimsuits, sand, and sun!

Mitt sporting her first swimsuit!  First day at the pool for a friend's birthday party! I promise you she has a bottom lip....she keeps it tucked all the time.  lol 

Little laughs

I HAVE to share this - and I hope she doesn't mind.  I don't know her, but man she makes me laugh.  For all you moms out there, HERE is a good laugh.  She doesn't read my blog, but I must thank her for helping me get through some of my darkest days, and she doesn't even know it!  Laughter is my therapy.  I think alot of people think I probably don't take things seriously sometimes, but on the contrary - I take them so seriously that I have to laugh to keep myself sane.  

Hoping all you moms had a fabulous day and that it was stress free!  My 3 were very sweet to me ALL day and kept giving me the best homemade cards and plenty of hugs and kisses!  It truly was one of the best Mother's Day ever.  If I could freeze time I would keep them this age forever.  

Merritt is done with antibiotics as of today, and I am hoping she stays well for awhile now.  She gave me a pretty good gift herself:  eating Puffs! So am I the worst mother in the world if I fed her Puffs for dinner since she's anti-babyfood right now?  ;)  

Mother's Day 2013

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there - especially the MOO's!

I have the greatest mom ever!  She answers ALL my cooking questions, will tell me what to do still (and I've grown to appreciate that now), listens when I need to her to, answers the phone at 3 am when I'm sick (because you always want your mommy when you're sick - even if she's 8 hours away), and she goes the extra mile ALL the time for me.  She puts up with my insane party planning and helps me with every bit of it.  She's the best Gigi ever!  I would be lost without her.  If we lived closer, I could get her a better Mother's Day present, but its hard since we live far away.... so this year she got her favorite gift card ever:  Starbucks.  ha!  That woman loves her lattes.
I've heard my entire life that I am Gwen's twin!  At least I know what I will look like later!

Sorry its blurry - I had to scan it in, and my scanner does not like us anymore.

And I am blessed to be the mommy of 3 precious babies.  I have learned what real love is and would lay down my own life for them.  I would like to say that they make motherhood easy - but I had no idea just how HARD being a mommy is!  They don't teach that in pharmacy school.   I'm not talking bad about them - they are great.  But I'm still learning patience, the level of responsibility it takes, realizing you have no control, living for the day I can go to the bathroom alone, and then knowing I will yearn for these crazy days all over again one day.  I wouldn't change a thing so far!  They make life worth living.  They make me laugh and surprise me everyday.

And no, I didn't forget you, Paula!  Happy Nana's Day!  I will make it my mission for the next calendar to get some better pics of you (instead of you eating a cupcake).  You raised a mighty fine son I'd say!  So thank you for doing a fantastic job!  Luckily Mother's Day is on a Sunday so you can take the day off and you don't have to cook for us!  :)

10 months old!

Once again, wow!  I really can't believe Mitt is almost 1.  As of today, I'd say she is finally feeling a little better.  I feel like she's had an ear infection for over a month.  I had a few down days this week where I felt like we were back to her earlier days  - and she wouldn't stop crying.  My sister used to work at an Emergency Room, and they use to laugh at mothers who would bring their baby in.... their chief complaint being "baby won't stop crying."  That's what I felt like this week.   Fed, burped, changed, doped and medicined up... and she would not stop fussing.   ever.   

And she slept ~5 hours last night!!! Hallelujah! I'll take it.  

So 10 months old and she weighs 14 lbs. 3 oz on our official baby scale at home.  She is really wearing an assortment of sizes in clothes.  Its strange.  In length, she wears a normal 6-12/9mo/12mo size.  If it's a set where the bottoms are separate, I have to take the waist up or buy a different size short completely (which is hard because alot of baby clothes are sold together).  And now that summer is here, I am having to take the straps up on the shoulders.  So she can wear anything from a 3 month - 12 month depending on what type of outfit it is.  Bubbles and onesies are going over pretty well and true to size.

She pretty much cut out baby food altogether this past month.  I'm shocked her weight didn't fall below 14 lbs.  But we're going to push it harder this month now that she's getting a few new teeth.

Tooth #3 came in a few days ago.  Ugh.. I.hate.teething.  Probably more than they do.

I am beginning to stress/worry about her milestones.  She hasn't really hit any.  Once again, I see ALOT of O babies in the O group - and everyone always boasts about not missing any milestones.  I'm truly happy for them considering what those babies have gone through.  But why hasn't Merritt?  She's not sitting by herself (100%), she's not crawling, she's not eating table food, she's not pulling up, she has no words (except dada), she's not sleeping....  Am I missing something?  My mind goes haywire and wonders if the geneticist missed something.  Surely in ALL the tests that she's had run... she's fine, right?  

Baby #3 and I'm still learning.  They are all different.

Love my punky though.  When she feels good, she is sooo funny.  Loves to laugh and babble.  Really likes her daddy (hence the dada).  Loves to play with big bro and sis... and THEIR toys... yep, baby toys aren't cool enough for her.    Right after this pic below - she took a nosedive on the wood floor and got her first knot on her forehead.  Of course I was holding the camera and couldn't catch her fast enough.  :/  

Happy 10 month birthday,  little Miss Merritt!