First there was one...
...then two...
...and now three!
I love these sweet babies more than words can say! They also served as pretty good props/lighting-testers in anticipation of shooting some cousin photos in the back yard! Let the chaos ensue in 3...2...1... :)
Soooo happy that my kiddos get to do life with all of these fun cousins! The photos say it all...this crew really has a blast together! <3
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
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!
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 are a TOTAL MOMMY'S GIRL, and I am absolutely loving every second of being your favorite person in the world! Xoxox, BFF! :-*
