Sleep Regression

Oona has played a dirty little trick on us. You see, she had us fooled that she had finally perfected the art of sleeping through the night. Matt and I were starting to get used to getting a straight 6-8 hours of sleep every night again. Life was good! And then. Out of nowhere, she started crying at 3am every single night. That wouldn't be so bad if it were a matter of feeding her and putting her back down to sleep again right away, but no. A lot of nights she doesn't want to eat and go back to sleep, she just wants to play. So finally around maybe 4:30 she settles back down in bed...until 6am.

After a consult with my favorite Dr. Google, we learned this is probably a case of 4-month-old sleep regression - a pretty common occurrence, if internet forums are to be trusted. And I sure hope the internet is right on this one, because if they are then she should start sleeping through the night again in a few weeks. (Crossing fingers and toes!) And until then, look for the yawning couple with bloodshot eyes chugging coffee. Wave hello when you see us!

A Regular Old Day

Our daily routine this spring has been pretty unexciting. Superwoman I am most definitely not, and taking Olive, Silas and Oona out of the house at the same time by myself is still pretty stressful. I basically avoid it as much as possible.  So it feels like we spend a lot of time just doing simple things at home, waiting around on warm temperatures to show up and stay longer than a day or two at a time. It's an imperfect season of reading and re-reading Silas' favorite books over and over again, watching Dumbo or Frozen just about every single day, and passing out cheese sticks and applesauce squeeze packs when the natives get overly cranky. (Are you yawning yet?)

When we have gotten out in the last month, it's been for super fun things like doctors appointments and getting caught up on all the vaccinations Olive needs to start kindergarten. This morning we did a piggyback appointment - a well-check up for Silas, and two shots for Olive, and while Olive was getting her shots Silas managed to fall flat on his face and had the most dramatic nose bleed of all time. You can imagine the scene we made leaving the office! 

Tulip Time starts this week, so that will shake things up a bit. Last year we all had the flu and didn't get to go to many of the activities. THIS year we find ourselves living in a house that is right on the parade route, (3 parades in one week - Tulip time is a serious business.) So that will be either really fun or really annoying. We shall see.

Oh, Weekends

I haven't really decided if I like weekends as much now that I'm mother to three-under-5. They don't really feel that much different than the weekdays. No more sleeping in. Same old weekday morning routine of doling out bowls of Chex, cups of milk and squeeze packs of applesauce while bouncing a crying baby on a hip and trying to shovel in a mouthful of eggs here and there. "Date night" is the fancy term we now use for running out to grocery shop in peace at night without little ones spilling out of the cart. Eh, I know as well as the next person that a day's coming soon where I'll look back on this time and feel all the warm, fuzzy, wistful feelings but for now I'm allowing myself a few minutes of wallowing in a bit of good old whinging, ok? At least until I've had my cup of coffee.

Coffee. Now that's what I look forward to on weekends. Matt runs down the street to Lemonjello's and gets me my favorite black iced coffee that I'm slightly suspicious is laced with crack, because they are that good and addictive and - fine, I'll just lay it all out there: I've gotten one every single day of the week for at least three weeks now and I'm sure Dave Ramsey would give me major stink eye on that one, but - no shame here, Dave. No shame at all. Happy mom = happy family and my iced coffee makes me happy happy happy.

Life, as it is now in all its messiness and noisiness and busyness,  really does make me happy. I'm still getting used to it, and I do have my moments of snarkiness, but really - it's very, very good.

15 / 52

Portraits of my children once a week, for a year.

Olive: I usually refuse her requests to paint her nails because she is a nail biter, but every once in a while I give in.

Silas: Such a funny kid. He makes me laugh every day.

Oona: So cranky this week. Ran to Urgent Care this morning on suspicion of an ear infection, only to be told: she's just a crank. At least she's a cute crank. 

Around These Parts

Things are starting to get green...

...and our yard yields surprises and discoveries each day...

...70 degree weather is about as perfect as weather can be, in my book...

...any free time I get these days, you will most likely find me perusing kitchen designs on Pinterest...

...and I've been eating these beautiful things like candy...

...these antique theater chairs were an exciting find - a seat for each kid!...

...Grace informed me I needed to stop stealing her running shoes, so I got my own. We're thinking about doing a couch-to-5k program together...

...I am quite obsessed with this PF Candle Co. candle. If my house can't be perfectly tidy and organized, at least it can smell phenomenal. :)

14 / 52

Portraits of my children once a week for a year.

Olive: Bookworm. She reads to herself daily, (she is loving the Jesus Storybook Bible lately,) and often reads to her siblings. Her love of books makes me so, so happy.

Silas: His vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. It's a nice-weird to have him ask for things rather than just point and whine.

Oona: Getting so strong. She's the happiest, roly-poliest girl. 

Eggs

I have the best memories of celebrating Easters with Matt's family back in WV. Sunshine, daffodils, watching nieces and nephews hunt for the baskets Grandma and Grandpa hid around the house, and the dying of eggs. Also, my mother-in-law's deviled eggs and strawberry pie for Easter dinner? The best.

So even though we are sad we can't spend Easter in WV with family this year, it was great to do some spring-time activities with Sharon while she was in town. The kids colored eggs, and then Sharon turned them into her amazing deviled eggs, and then I ate way too many of them.

And speaking of eggs, I just bought about 4 dozen of them to make a whole bunch of hardboiled eggs and a huge crustless/dairy free quiche to have on hand as we start another Whole 30 today. Gah I hate giving up sugar, but it needs to be done. Too many of these kinds of eggs have been consumed in the last month and my body needs a reset.

Birthday Week

It's the end of another busy week. Matt's mom flew in last Thursday to spend a week with us. We enjoyed her visit so much and have all been rather glum since she left (miss you, Sharon!)

While Grandma was in town, we celebrated Olive and Silas' birthdays. Their birthdays are only 3 days apart, so they got to share a birthday cake again this year (chocolate - with coffee-icing, per Olive's persistent requests.) 

^ Olive had been begging for a doctor's kit for months. When she opened it up she said "OH. MY. GOODNESS." ^

^ Silas is extremely hard to shop for. When my mother in law was asking what he would like I suggested something with lights and noise. She obliged with a lion flashlight that roars whenever you flash the light. It was a huge hit with Silas! ^

How are they 5 and 2 already? The coming year is going to hold some pretty big things for these guys - like kindergarten for Olive in August. And potty training for Silas in...well, whenever Mom works up the courage to start...

Last year's birthday party HERE.

13 / 52

Portraits of my children once a week for a year.

Olive - opening a birthday present.

Silas - spaghetti-aftermath.

Oona - my littlest sweetheart.