Random Snippets

We've been busy.  Here are some random snippets and pictures from the last few months.  

The big girls have their own cameras.  After Ellie disappeared they wanted their pictures downloaded that I had been meaning to do for some time so they could keep their pictures on there.  Here are a few of the cute ones.

Nursing this sweet baby and reading about allergies, worrying, trying to figure out what is going on with her digestive system.  Food journaling and still confused!!  UGH!

Schooling, teaching, playing with, reading to these beautiful girls.  We have been hit and miss as we are getting started, but this week has been great.  There is so much I want to do with and teach my girls.  We are working on character training a lot this year, getting into chores and chore charts, and of course doing the basics, math and language arts, along with a lot of fun stuff along the way.  The other day, Olivia told Hans the best part of her day was school.  And yesterday Claire was begging to do more school.  So cute and I love their enthusiasm.  Here are some pictures from a few weeks ago, when we had a picnic lunch in our back yard and read Homer Price a great read a-loud.

So smiley!!  Love this sweet babe!

 Haven't been using the moby as much this time.  She would often fight it when I put her in there and beat her head against my chest wanting to nurse.  Long story short...The ring sling has been working well since it is so easy to put on and take off.

 Love this little girl and all her crazy expressions!

 This baby hardly ever gets a bath, but when she does she smells oh so good!!

 These girls love hotels and love swimming.

 She must be the fourth when she can sleep in the same room with her loud sisters running around.

 Olivia my big helper.  Waiting for daddy to arrive on the Airporter.  No we don't drive like this!!

 Sweet baby hands on my chest.

 Big smiles and chubby legs!

 Self portrait.  Love this girl and her love of taking pictures of herself.

 Soccer!!  Yes I am not amongst other things a soccer mom.  It makes us so busy, but Livy loves it, so I guess it is worth it.  Being very Japanese and using umbrellas to shade us from the sun.

Watching the middle girls play and have fun on the playset while Olivia practices soccer.  They are so cute!! (If I do say so myself {wink})

And they still love holding their baby sister!! 

And our little sweetie is using her bumbo now and 3 months old!!  It can't be not already ;-(

Raelyn~3 months

We miss you Ellie!

I haven't been blogging much...can we say busy!!  Ok I am like a broken record always talking about how busy I am, but it is true.

Our cat Ellie has been missing for two weeks now.  I am SO SAD!!  I think Olivia and I are the saddest.  I know she won't be coming back and I miss seeing her at the back door waiting to come in.  Seeing her lying on the bed sleeping.  I am still used to closing my bedroom door so she wouldn't go in there and then inevitably wake up after I had a baby down to sleep in there and wake her up with her very loud meow.  I am just so sad she was such a good kitty and we had such a good routine with her.  Olivia and I have both had dreams about her coming back.  Claire is just blunt and says she's dead (and doesn't seem to sad about it).  Aubrey still calls every kitty/pet Ellie.  The neighbor kitty comes over sometimes and she says, "NO Ellie!".  So cute but makes me so sad at the same time.

Ellie's disappearance has brought on the "I want a..." questions.  Olivia wants to get a new cat, a kitten of course.  She wanted one before Ellie was gone, but now it is more feasible.  Claire has latched onto the idea that she really wants a dog.  Not a poodle, but a dog.  A little one that follows her around and doesn't get dirty like her little dogs that she drags behind her on a leash through the dirt.  One that does tricks and walks on its hands and feet.  And does cart wheels or just rolls over.  And she promises it won't bite Raelyn.  Oh if it were only that easy to just get a dog.  She really thinks we can just go get one and it is no big deal.  Oh I love that sweet girl and wish it was that easy.  But she just doesn't understand that dogs are a lot of work (especially puppies) and we have to little babies.  Hopefully she will stop asking every day as it breaks my heart to see her cry and wish I could just get her a dog, but yeah just not going to happen with two little ones to take care of right now.

These pictures came from the girls' cameras.

We miss you Ellie!

Not again!!

Seriously, I have been obsessed with checking diapers and color of stool since Aubrey had all of her issues.  So I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous and watching intently Raelyn's stool since she was born.  As of her two month appointment (stats: 12 lbs. 4 oz., 26 inches) everything was fine and just days later at our Labor day weekend camping trip it all changed and I am thinking, "Seriously, NOT AGAIN!!".

I never really did decide what Aubrey's issue was whether it was dairy or egg or both.  But after months of restrictive eating it was tiresome and awful.  Now Aubrey still has diarrhea at times when she over does it on what ever it is that bothers her (hehe...).  It is hard to do a restrictive diet on an almost 2 year old as I have to restrict the entire houses food and with a new baby just never did it.  I may have to food journal her food though and see if I can figure it out.

Now with Raelyn I am back on restricting.  Started with dairy last week and am now adding egg and wheat since it doesn't seem to be clearing up yet.  Hopefully I can actually follow my diet this time and not cheat (like I did last time) and figure it out quickly so I know what bothers her and then can restrict that food.  It is so tough because just like Aubrey was she is so happy, sleeps well, etc. but these green stools just drive me crazy and I know they aren't normal so even though from the outside she seems healthy and fine.  I am on a quest once again to figure out what hurts my baby's tummy.  Please pray for me!  It is so tough as food preparation just takes longer and is harder to plan when you are restricting and that is already tough when you have a new baby so it just compounds it and makes it tougher.  Another long journey...{sigh}

Sweet little girls!!

As mentioned before I struggled for a bit with taking pictures of the girls, but I have been trying to be more intentional and get more pictures of my sweet girls.  There are a lot of Raelyn but she currently holds still (unlike the other 3) and she gives the cutest baby smiles these days.

Aubrey wearing Raelyn's 3 months shirt...guess we will have to keep that one around for next year.

The girls still ask to hold Raelyn every day.  I am so glad they still love their baby sister and the newness hasn't worn off.  Aubrey isn't quite as intense about holding her as she used to, which is nice too.  But she still comes up and gives her kisses on the head and says, "I lub you!".  So precious!!

 Hans left for two weeks for Washington DC so my mom very kindly came to help out while he is away.  Here are some shots of Raelyn giving Grandma Janice some big smiles.