"Chagganoota"

Well, we did it again!  We embraced the desire to be spontaneous and adventurous.  On Friday afternoon, after the kids woke up from their naps, we loaded up the minivan and headed to Chattanooga for an overnight.  We had such a good time!  Jonathan mentioned the idea to me last weekend, but we didn't officially decide to go until Friday morning.  I spent most of Friday cleaning and packing, and after naps we got on the road.  Chattanooga is only 1.5 hours away, but there is a bridge under construction which added a long bit of sitting in traffic, so it took us longer to get there.  We were hoping to check-in at the hotel and then find somewhere to eat in downtown Chatty, but with all of the traffic, we decided to make supper simple, so we stopped at a Chick-fil-a.  After that, we found our hotel, unloaded our stuff, and headed out!

The kids were thrilled and so excited to be in "Chagganoota."  I just love it when they mispronounce things...so cute!  We walked to the pedestrian bridge where there is an awesome ice cream place called The Ice Cream Show.  Then, we took our yummy treats to the bridge to look at the beautiful view!  The kids loved the bridge.  Liam liked the big nails that line the floor because he thought they were "money."  He kept trying to pick them up (they are about the size of half-dollars).  Nora and Liam just ran and ran, so we ended up having to play Red Light-Green Light to keep them from running to far away from us.  After about thirty minutes of running, we decided to head back to the hotel to get prepped for bed.

Keep in mind, this is the first time since Liam was a baby that we've been in a hotel room all together.  We weren't sure how Liam would do not sleeping in his crib, but he had a blast sleeping with his daddy.  I think Jonathan had one of the best night's sleep that he has had in a while because Liam actually slept instead of waking up all hours of the night screaming hysterically.  (That's another post).  Stella slept in the pack-n-play, and Nora (also known as Wiggle Worm) shared a bed with me.  I am so glad we did this because the kids exceeded my expectations and slept great.

One fun thing was that we were staying very close to the Baseball Stadium and there was a game going on that night.  Just as we all got tucked into bed, the game ended and there was a fireworks show.  We could hear the fireworks going off, so we got the kids up and opened up the curtains and were able to watch the entire fireworks show from our hotel room!  It was great!  Liam definitely liked to watch that.  What a special treat!

The next morning, we got up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and packed up our stuff.  Then, we headed to Rock City which is actually in Georgia, not Tennessee.  I didn't know that!  The kids really enjoyed it, and so did Jonathan and I!  It was beautiful, although my only complaint is that our tour guide was a bit speedy for me.  I would have liked to take it a little more slowly, but when the guide is an almost four year old, you just have to keep up!

After Rock City, we found a local place to eat lunch and then we rode the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway.  It was just okay....definitely not worth the money, in our opinion.  If you are ever in the area, you can drive up to the top of Lookout Mountain which is probably what we would have done had we known.  But, it was fun and a neat experience for the kids.  By the time we got back, it was mid-afternoon and the kids were getting pretty tired, so we decided to head back home.  After a quick pit-stop at Dairy Queen so the kids could enjoy their first Blizzards, we took a scenic route so we could avoid the construction traffic we encountered on the way down to Chatty.


I hope that we take advantage of having Chattanooga so close!  There is so much to do!  It's definitely one of my new favorite places.

Commercial

So, it's Monday morning.  I am in my pjs and robe, nursing my second cup of coffee.  The kids are still in their pjs, and we are just slowly coming alive.  We had a busy weekend celebrating Nora's 4th birthday as a family of five.  Right now, I have neither the time nor energy to post about all of our adventures, but I hope to do so very soon.  So, consider this my commercial, advertising things that are to come!

I have to tell you about our last minute overnight trip to Chattanooga.

Our fun day at Rock City.

Nora's 4th birthday and all that is going on in the life of this little, wonderful girl.

Exhausted after a busy, fun day!

But, laundry awaits, suitcases must be unpacked, beds must be made, errands must be run, and babies must be cared for.  Till then!

A Day Trip to the Smokies

I like order and planning. I like to know in advance what things are going to take place. I like to have an agenda and help to make that agenda pan out. I like to think that I am spontaneous, but sometimes I just am not. Jonathan, on the other hand, likes to do things spur-of-the-moment. It's not that I don't like to, it's just that with three kiddos, it takes a lot to get out of the house. There are feedings to plan around, meals for the other two, naptime, lots of packing to make sure we have what we need, and it usually just takes time to go anywhere. It's just the nature of having three small kids under 4. But, I do have a desire to just "let go" sometimes and get going!

So, that's exactly what we did the other day! Jonathan ran a 5k last Saturday morning, and when he came home, he said, "What do you want to do today!?" I knew the answer he was looking for did not include the word "clean" or "organize" or "task." This man had fun in mind. He quickly came up with the idea of packing a picnic and heading to the Smokies to hike or go swimming at the "Y." ("Y" as in a "y" in the road/river, not as in the YMCA). So, at approximately 10:00 am, we decided to go! We packed some clothes and swimming stuff, threw together some lunch and snacks and drinks, and loaded up the kids. I am so thankful that Jonathan pushes me out of my comfort zone, to embrace fun and activities that may not be "easy," and is right there to help me!

We ended up stopping at the "Y" in Townsend to eat, and the kids were having so much fun that we stayed there all afternoon. We ate random lunches, the kids skipped their naps, and we just relaxed. It was wonderful! A much needed family time, and I am so glad that we did it. It was much better than any plan I could have come up with at home. Thank you, JB, for planning a fun and spontaneous day for our little family.

The perfect napping spot for Stella.  She snoozed almost the whole time we were there.

Checking out the surroundings.

My feet propped up, holding Stella, and reading a book while the kids played in the sand.

Our picnic spot.

Playing in the sand.

There was a large cliff just in front of where we were that everyone was jumping off of.  I asked JB if he was up for it, and of course, he was!  He still has it in him.  Here are a few shots of him jumping off!

It was a perfect summer day!  I love that we live so close to the mountains and can actually take these trips.  If only we did it more!  Here's to more spontaneous days in our future!

Stella Marie: Two Month Stats

I know it's a bit late, but Stella had her two month check-up this morning.  She'll be eleven weeks tomorrow!  CRAZY!  Anyway, she did so great at the doctor's office and had to get her first round of vaccinations.  Here are her two (and a half) month stats:

Weight: 11 lbs., 2 oz.  (55th percentile)
Height:  22.5 inches (60th percentile)
Head Circumference: 38.9 centimeters (60th percentile)

In the past month, she has gained 2 lbs, grown 1.25 inches, and her head has grown 2 centimeters.  What a busy month for our little one!

Just for a fun comparison, here is what Nora and Liam weighed and measured at two months:

Nora: 9 lbs., 14 oz. and 21.75 inches long  (20-30th percentile)
Liam: 12 lbs., 5 oz. and 23 1/8 inches (60-75th percentile)

Stella seems to fall somewhere in the middle of her brother and sister!  I think she looks like a chubby Nora!  Everyone says that she looks just like Nora, and we all agree.  It's so cute and kind of weird to have two little girls that look so much alike. 

Can you tell who is who?

Stella's Birth Announcement

Sleepy...

Well, we have had lots of developments in our house in the sleep area.  Stella has been sleeping great the past three nights.  She's been extending her night sleep, so it seems that since her growth spurt she's been able to go longer at night without needing to eat.  For example, I nursed her at 9:45 last night and put her down, and then she didn't wake again until 8:15 am this morning!-----------

I started that post one day last week, but then got interrupted and was unable to finish it.  So glad I didn't because what is stated below is anything BUT what we're experiencing here.  Last night was one for the record books!

Stella is still sleeping pretty well.  She gets fed somewhere around 10 pm (give or take 30 minutes) and is down for the night.  The past four nights, she has woken around 5:00 am for a feeding and then goes right back to sleep.  She was going for longer stretches, even not waking at all until 8 or 9 am, but that seems to have halted for now.  I have been working on getting her down earlier in the evening.  I try to have her asleep by 9 pm, then I wake her for the "dream feed" before I go to sleep somewhere in the 10:00 range.  I was hoping that maybe she was dropping that early, early morning feed, but so far she's still holding on to it.

Liam is having some major sleep trouble.  It seems like Stella is sleeping better than he is.  He wakes in the night at least once every.single.night.  This started months back when I was still pregnant.  I wasn't easily able to get out of bed, so Jonathan would get up and go check on him and comfort him every night when he cried out.  I don't know if we've ruined him by doing that or what, but it seems to have been getting worse the past few weeks.  He wakes up most nights about 3-4 times.  He's not hurt or sick or needing anything, he just wakes up crying out.  Sometimes we let him fuss it out, and he'll go back to sleep, but sometimes he wakes up and won't stop until he screams at the top of his lungs which causes us to have to go in to calm him down.

Last night, he started the waking up around 10:30 pm.  He would just cry softly for a minute or so, then fall back to sleep.  The problem, however, is that he did this off and on until 3:00 am.  Jonathan was having trouble sleeping anyway, so he was checking on him occasionally in those several hours, but at 3:00 am I was so exhausted and over it.  I know that Liam has been cutting some molars, and this long span of waking last night seemed much worse than usual, so I got up and gave him some Ibuprofen and water to see if maybe he was in pain from teething and needed some relief.  After that, he finally fell asleep until 8:30 am this morning.  So, maybe it's teething.  Maybe it's not.  Who knows?

Anyway, I just have to remind myself that our little ones are only little for a few years.  It won't be long until they are teens and we are BEGGING them to wake up at a reasonable hour.  Until then, we are trying to catch as many restful moments as possible. 


On a positive note, here is a precious video of Nora and Liam loving on Stella one morning last week.  They get so excited when they see her in the morning and consider this "playing with her."  This baby girl is so loved!

Captured.

This morning, the kids and I are at home while Jonathan is at church.  Nora has just recovered from a fever virus that has lasted the past 3-4 days, so we are staying put to make sure she doesn't spread what she's had.  While the kids are at play, I thought I'd take a second to right down what I love about each of my babies today.  There are things that they say or do that just overwhelms my heart with love and affection and gratefulness.  These things change from time to time, from day to day as they grow and expand their knowledge of life and all that this world has.  So, here is what each does right now that just captures my heart:

Nora:  I just love Nora's love for play and imagination.  She is really into her dolls and Barbies these days.  She loves to pretend, giving them names, creating scenarios as they interact, etc.  She's been going through a phase where she really wants others to play pretend with her, but as she is in her room at this moment, I can hear her playing well by herself, giving the different dolls different voices.  Liam went to stay with Granna and Geegaw the other day while Nora was at the peak of her sickness.  He was gone about 24 hours, and even though I doubt she'd admit it, she missed her little brother.  Yesterday they played so well together and really enjoyed each others' company.  I cherish the moments when they love being together and put fighting aside to just have fun.  I also love Nora's love for coloring and markering and doing "school."  She loves to learn, but on her own terms (which may be an issue when it comes time to have real school).

Liam:  I love how sweet this boy is.  He surely is a handful and gets into everything, but he has the most tender heart.  He cannot help but love his two sisters, and it is especially seen in how he interacts with Stella.  I love how Liam is learning new phrases and using them, even though he has NO IDEA what he is saying.  The two phrases he's using these days are:  "I understand" and "I don't care."  He'll just randomly use them or put them together, such as:  "I don't care, Momma.  I understand."  He has heard them used and knows that we say those words, but as to what they convey or how they are used, he doesn't know or care.  I am learning that Liam is a clown, a ham.  He does things to get a reaction, good and bad.  Just give him a hint that you think something he does is funny and he becomes hooked on that thing. 

Stella:  Although this little one is limited in what she does, we are totally smitten with her.  Just last night she was sleeping across my chest before bed, and it hit me that just 9 weeks ago she was still in my belly.  Just a little peanut.  But now, she's been with us for two months and has changed tremendously.  I love her smiles, and I know this is selfish, but it just melts my heart because I think she really knows who I am, that I am her Momma.  She gives me smiles freely, and though it is a small thing, I am trying to enjoy every single one of them. 

Lastly, one thing I want to remember right now is that Liam loves the song, "Oh the Deep, Deep Love."  This song was sung at Amy and Andrew's wedding, and after the wedding anytime we would play that song, Liam instantly knew it was from the wedding.  Now, he asks me to sing it to him when I put him to bed.  I sing the chorus to him, over and over:

"Oh, the deep, deep love
All I need and trust
Is the deep, deep love of Jesus."

Such simple words, such a simple tune.  However, if I teach my son (and daughters) nothing else, I hope it is that.  All they need and all they should trust is the love of Jesus Christ.  I pray God makes these words ring true in their hearts one day.  Until that day, we are sowing seeds.

The pictures in this post were taken by the FABULOUS Lillian Prince.  Check out her work at lillianprincephotography.com