- VAY-CAY FOR ALL -

I think I've already droned on about this week of "VACATION FOR ALL!" once [or twice] in another post [or two], but I can't find it now and so!  Here we are about three months later to rehash it alllll out and plaster photos all over 'da World Wide Web that literally no one except ME will ever enjoy looking back on!   

Lesssss go!

When Brian's sisters planned a family vacation to the Smokey Mountains for ~4 weeks after I was due with Baby F. #3, my initial reaction was, "OH HELL TO THE NO."  But after 3.7 minutes of contemplation and realization that the baby and I wouldn't necessarily have to go along and this vacation may actually provide a much needed "break" for all parties involved [in the form of a) Brian being able to take the two older girls on a week-long adventure to a cabin with all of their cousins and b) me being able to stay home in peace and quiet with a newborn], I quickly changed my tune.  SIGN. US. UP! 

Long story short:  Harper and Scarlett had an absolute blast, and the photos I received every day from my sisters-in-law [and even, to my surprise, a handful from my father-in-law and husband!] are here to prove it...

...and Juliette and I had our own "absolute blast" in the form of uninterrupted snuggles in the recliner alllll day every day [after we partied alllll night every night!] which -- TBH -- is our happy place x2!  I had a fairly long to-do list that I was planning on checking off super easily while 60% of the family was out of sight/not out of mind, but turns out I sort of underestimated how much the baby and I wouldn't be sleeping between the hours of 10pm - 7am and so!  Naps all day every day be ours, and there was absolutely no shame in our game!

And then!  After a week of separation:

REUNITED, AND IT FEELS SO GOOD!  [Did Juliette miss her big sisters more than they missed her?!  ...It remains a mystery!]  I loved the memories we made apart, but definitely love even more being able to have my hubby and babies ALL under one roof!  <3

 

 

- Time For Your Checkup! -

**********

[ BIRTHDAY VIDEO HERE! ]

Scarlett Clare, today you turn  * F O U R *, and we couldn't love you any more!!!  There were snow/ice storms on your induction/delivery day in 2018 and alsoooo the day we tried to travel to your newborn photos a week or so later, so I suppose it was only fitting that the roads were iced over on your 4th birthday!  However!  Despite those nasty roads on top of a pandemic that always tries to ruin our plans at baseline, a handful of family members were still able to make it to your Doc McStuffins party, and they all arrived juuuust in time for their checkups! ;) :) 

While looking at yourself in the mirror before hopping in bed on your birthday:
"Hmmmmmmm, I still look 'da same!  But I don't fink [think] I look AS wittle [wittle] as I oo-sed [used] to... Wait a second, am I gonna turn free [three] ever again, Mommy?"  

Cue the tears and all the feels! 

Your birthday fell on a Saturday this year, so we were able to celebrate all weekend long!  Between a Mexican fiesta on Friday night [at which the waitress denied our request for you to wear the sombrero d/t COVID...what??!], a day full of alllllll your favorite things + DocMcStuffins party on Saturday, and donuts after Mass on Sunday, you were certainly a very celebrated 4-year-old! 

Happy birthday, Doc Scarlett!  This is gonna be your best year yet!

Her only party request was a Doc McStuffin cake with trick candles... The candles turned out to be extra EXTRA "tricky," and she had a lot of candle-blowing to do!!!

...And one last big hoorah on Sunday after Mass!

 

Cheers to this middle sister who is sugar and spice [heavy on the spice] and everything nice; you have the biggest heart and oldest soul!  The good Lord knows you keep us on our toes!  You are a Daddy's girl through and through, but you love being a big [and little] sister, too!  Hip, hip, HOORAY for your fifth trip around the sun; we hope this year is FULL OF FUN!  

We love you, Scarlett!  Here's to FOUR!

- FOUR MONTHS -

F to the O to the U to the R...! ! !

BABY BOO BEAR,

Oh my goodness, we fall more and more and MORE in love with you every single day! Four months has to be the best age ever; you are so alert and in that mega sweet stage where you smile and coo at everything we do!  The older girls love entertaining you and making crazy faces and movements in front of you to see your ear-to-ear smile and hear your little baby giggle!  Yesterday at the doctor's office, you weighed in at 13 pounds, 11 ounces (36th percentile - and steadily following your growth curve!) and measured 24.75 inches (59th percentile - gonna be tall like Daddy!).  You've gone from pooping every few hours to pooping only once a day -- or even worse, once every OTHER day -- and your little tummy gets so full of gas and is nottttt a fan of the new norm!  The doctor said this happens as a part of normal gut development and is nothing to be concerned about, but we feel so sad for you when your back is arched stiff as a board and you're screaming your head off until finally a little tootie escapes! 

In more exciting news, I found a stroller on a resale site this month that your carseat can click into [WHERE WAS THIS CONTRAPTION when Harper and Scarlett were babies and we were packing/padding/surrounding them with bath towels and shoving them into the regular stroller for a short ride??!], and you absolutely love being pushed all around here, there, and everywhere! Your big sisters are typically in some sort of small argument over whose turn it is to push you, so hopefully the novelty wears off soon... 

...but we've clocked some mega miles on this thing, and it's a win win WIN for all! 

What else, what else?! OH, YES.  Momma came down with COVID this month, womp wompppp!  With Daddy being back to in-person work per usual, I initially hired Scarlett as your primary caregiver...

...but quickly learned that she doesn't handle 'da poop diapeys too well and also realized that it's next to impossible to isolate from kiddos when you're 'da MOM BOSS of the household!  Despite our deep desire to keep you and Scarlett healthy, it was just not an option for me to lock myself in the bedroom for 10 days and let you two fend for yourselves!  Long story short:  you stayed healthy [HOORAY!], and here's to hoping your q2-3 hour breastfeeding sessions just a few inches south of my breath from death gave you an ounce or two of passive immunity!  ;) :) 

Then!  We escaped our quarantine in time to cash in our golden tickets to The Polar Express!  You enjoyed the pre-party but did not enjoy the loud music or dancing/singing chef characters on the train.

Also this month, you survived your first tornado warning where we were forced to take shelter in the basement for an hour or so...

...enjoyed having Harper back home for Christmas break [and Scarlett, too, but thanks to mommy's COVID she's basically been home with us all month already!]...

...and met Santa! 

 

You also celebrated your first Christmas ^^ and your first New Year's Eve!  #partygirl

You're rocking tummy time, trying so hard to roll over, and loving snuggles more than ever. 

You are a TOTAL MOMMY'S GIRL, and I am absolutely loving every second of being your favorite person in the world!   Xoxox, BFF! :-*

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XXXI -

After watching Cheaper by the Dozen:
Harper:  "Mom, can someone in real life actually have 12 kids?"
Me:  "Yes."
Harper:  "Well, I think I only want 8 kids..."

At dinner:
Me:  "What are you learning about in religion class this week?"
Harper:  "Ummmm, we're learning about two sisters and this guy."
Me:  .....

Randomly:
Harper:  "Mom, I know what L.O.L. means!"
Me:  "Oh yeah?"
Harper:  "Yeah, it means, 'SHOUT. OUT. LOUD!'"
Me:  .....

While looking at our honeymoon picture on my nightstand:
"Mom, you look younger in this picture than you do right now..."

 

On the way to Mass:
Harper:  "Will people end?  Like will all the people on the world die some day?  Or will people just keep growing more and more and more?"
Brian, me:  .....

 

 

One evening before bed:
Me:  "Harper, put your puzzles away."
Harper:  "I can't find the boxes."
Me:  "Ok, then I'll throw them away."
Harper:  "I hate your rules.  They're so disgusting."
Me:  .....

 

Randomly:
"Mom, are you 21 or 23?"

While driving home from the grocery store:
Harper:  "Mom, why did the chicken cross the road?"
Me:  "Hmmm...I don't know?"
Harper:  "Well you have to guess!"
Me:  "To get to the other side?"
Harper:  "No.  To lay it's eggs in it's nest!"
Me:  .....

While celebrating our anniversary and looking at our wedding photos inside SLU College Church:
"Look!  A castle is in the background!"

During Juliette's tummy time:
"I can't believe Juliette can hold her head up all by herself when she is only 3 months old!  ...Because that must be really hard for a person who is only zero years old!"

Randomly:
Harper:  "Our elf is part of our family, right?!"
Me:  "Yes, I guess so..."
Harper:  "Yeah, because he was borned from you!"
Me:  .....

On the way home from school:
"Mommy, I told this to my teacher today:  Maybe they chose Mary for Jesus because he was born on Christmas and her name means Christmas too, you know like, 'Mary [Merry] Christmas!'"

Before visiting Santa:
Harper:  "Mom, does Santa have a wife?"
Me:  "Yes, her name is Mrs. Claus."
Harper:  "Ohhhhh, I remember, the old lady with the white bun!"

 

 

During Christmas break:
"You know what the worst thing about going back to school after Christmas is?  It's that Juliette loves me so much and I have so much love to give her and I will never get to see her while I'm at school every day..."

 

After driving by 3 flashing police cars that were encircling a car at Target:
Brian:  "Ohhhh, look at those police, they caught some bad guys!  Prob Marv and Harry!"
Harper:  "Who's Barb and Larry?"

 

 

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XXX -

Randomly:
"Mommy, I said to Ju-wee-ette, 'I will neva' let you die!' and 'den I also said I loved her."

 

While examining her Halloween loot:
Scarlett:  "When are we gonna eat all 'dese chocolates?"
Me: "I don't know..."
Scarlett:  "Well, I could try annu-duh [another] one if you want me to..."

On the drive home from Wal-Mart after talking a mile a minute:
"Well anyways, I MIGHT take a nap in 'da van..."

During dinner:
"Be right back, I needa go get my poop out to make a YITTA [little] more room!"

 

After seeing our parish priest in his cassock:
"Mommy, why is Fah-duh [Father] Michael wearing a dwess [dress]?"

After being threatened a time out:
Scarlett:  "FINE 'DEN, I am going to time out WIGHT [right] NOW so I don't have to wisten [listen] to any more of 'dat bossy talking!"
Me:  .....

After Juliette sneezed:
Scarlett:  "Bless you, God!"
Me:  "What?"
Scarlett:  "I said, 'Bless you, God!' to Ju-wee-ette after she 'neezed!"

As Juliette was screaming + refusing a bottle:
Scarlett:  "Well I guess she's not firsty [thirsty]..."
Me:  "Yeah, but she should be hungry by now..."
Scarlett:  "Well I guess she just yikes yo' nipples 'den!"
Me:  .....

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "Daddy, when is our house gonna burnt down?"
Brian:  "Never."
Scarlett:  "WELL YEAH, ours is not gonna burnt down until 'da fire alarm turns red, right?"
Brian:  "No, our house is not going to burn down."
Scarlett:  "BUT DADDY, I just telled you 'dat our house is not gonna burnt down, but it COULD....."
Brian:  .....

After using a public restroom:
"I am NOT gonna wash my hands in here because it is TOO 'TINKY [stinky]."

After blessing herself with holy water:
"Gwanma [Grandma], I put 'da Holy 'Pirit [Spirit] on my nose!"

 

While watching me nurse Juliette:
Scarlett:  "Mom, when you were a baby, did you like bottles or yo' mu-duh's [mother's] nipple?"
Me:  ".....I'm not sure, you'd have to ask Grammy..."
Scarlett: "OHHH, I gotcha. Wait, which Grammy?"
Me: .....

On the way to Mass:
"So today at CHU'CH...should we just sit and wisten [listen] or should we jack a-wound?"

 

 

 

During a rage of bad behavior:
Me:  "The elf is watching you, Scarlett."
Scarlett:  "No, his eyes are facing 'da Christmas tree!"
Brian:  "Well he can still hear you..."
Scarlett:  "No, guys, because his ears are covered by his hat!"
Brian, me:  .....

Picking up a huge bottle of NyQuil at Wal-Mart:
Scarlett:  "MOMMY!  I want to have 'dis mouf-wash [mouthwash]!"
Me:  .....*contemplating*.....