Happy Easter!

Easter Sunday was a bit insane because Chris had to help set up at church. I didn't manage to get a picture of the kids before we (barely) made it out the door, and by the time we got home they were ready to be done with dressing up. BUT I did manage to get a few quick pictures...much to their disdain! We also were able to start the tradition of "resurrection rolls". (you put marshmellows dipped in butter and sugar and wrap them in crescent rolls. Bake them and the marshmellow melts...similar to Jesus' body leaving the burial cloths...) Anyway, the boys loved making them and thought it was so crazy that the marshmellows were gone. It provided a great way to talk about Jesus' resurrection from the dead! (and they tasted really good too!) We had Easter dinner with our buds the Harris' later that evening, but I forgot my camera. So sad!

Healthy

It's been a good last two weeks as we've all enjoyed being healthy. The boys seem to be adjusted to our new way of life for the most part. They're back to their goofy selves... Owen continues to crack us up as he is always in his own little world. He does not seem to care one bit about playing with other kids - he's always on his own mission of grilling, mowing or doing something productive. Ethan continues to be my little melancholy artist...he's started drawing again, and he can entertain himself for hours as he plays with his "action figures" or pretends to be a Wild Kratt (his newest television obsession). Harper has started sleeping in her crib, finally, and seems to be getting into a nice little routine. She loves laying on the floor and watching everything around her. It's nice having a baby that's content by herself since I have two others to keep up with!
Two weekends ago, my wonderful friends threw Harper a beautiful baby shower. The food was amazing, it was decorated beautifully, and it was so fun getting baby girl clothes! Harper and I felt very loved! Thanks, guys!
That same weekend, we threw our neighbors the Chuas a going-away-cookout. They have lived here the past year for a job, but it was time for them to head back to San Francisco. We had a great time eating good food, watching the neighborhood girls put on a show for us, and talking with our neighbors.

1 Month Old

Wow...what a blur the last month has been! Harper has had an eventful first month of life! It started out with the day after she was born, Owen got a stomach bug and was really sick for 24 hours. Thankfully, the rest of us stayed healthy, but it was an adventure juggling a throwing up toddler, a doctor visit, and a day old baby. She had her Mimi stay the first week of her life with us, and we all were VERY sad to see Mimi go. Chris took a couple days off after my mom left, and when he went back to work the three kids and I braved our first major outing to Jump Zone. It went swimmingly...until a day later when we realized that Ethan and two other kids we were there with came down with a stomach bug from hell. It took Ethan six days to be able to keep any fluid in him, and in the meantime he passed it on to Chris and Owen. In between nursing Harper, I was doing laundry and disinfecting like a mad woman! Chris lost 8 pounds in three days, and at one point said, "I think this is the hardest week of our marriage." Good times. After 10 days of the horrid illness, we managed to get into the swing of things. The one thing I can say from that time was that it makes having three HEALTHY kids seem really easy! I guess it's all about perspective!

In between all the sickness, Harper had her first photo shoot. I had never done infant pictures of the boys, so I thought it would be fun to at least do one thing new with my third born! Harper was a little champ during the hour shoot. She did leave her mark though...I had left the room to get Owen and came back to the photographer holding Harper while covered in Harper's poop. She'd managed to cover the back drop and everything! I guess what do you expect when you put a naked baby on a heating pad for over an hour, huh?!? We did get some incredible pictures. Thanks, Chelsea, and sorry about your clothes and blanket!

The boys seem to be acclimating pretty well. They both adore their little sister. Owen calls her "Harper Waine, my baby sister", and Ethan is constantly laying next to her talking to her and patting her belly. She is going to be one taken care of little girl. She has already been accidentally stepped on (just her hand), been introduced to light saber action, and lightly punched (all in fun, of course), so she's going to have to be really tough too.

Harper has been such a sweet and easy baby. Really all she does is eat, sleep and make lots of grunting noises. She's very content laying in her bouncy seat watching the boys or sleeping. She's gained weight like a champ - at her 2 week check she weighed 7 lbs 8 oz and then at her month check she weighed 9 lbs 1 oz. All our hard work is paying off! The last two nights she's even stretched her sleeping out so she's waking up at 1 am and then at 5 am. I can do that! I am finally starting to get comfortable with all the accessories that go with a little girl..sort of. I haven't ventured into tights or bloomers yet, but I have loved the little head bands that she wears. Baby steps, I guess. :) It's still a little surreal that I have a daughter, but I am loving every minute of it so far!

Can you tell which one is which?

I have been hearing that Harper looks a lot like her brothers. Mostly Ethan. I have seen some Owen in her too, so out of curiousity I decided to find pictures of them them all about the same age. This is all three kids at about 10 days old. I had forgotten that the boys did have some hair at that age - I just hope Harper keeps hers as opposed to going for the "old man" look!

The first two weeks...

Tomorrow is Harper's 2 week birthday, and it's been a fun last two weeks getting to know her. My parents left last weekend, and Chris went back to work on Tuesday, so the boys and I are working at figuring out how to function with me waaay outnumbered now! It's been a really good week - we've had enough low key things to do so we don't go completely crazy being inside. Harper is settling in to somewhat of a schedule, and thanks to her sweet dad, I am figuring out to get chunks of sleep at night. (She is so loud that Chris takes her to a different room to sleep...he can amazingly sleep through anything!)

Harper had her two week check up yesterday with Jennifer, and she's doing great. She now weighs 7 pounds 8 ounces...all our hard work is paying off! She had new born pictures taken this week too. She did great until the end when she pooped all over the photographer. Awesome. She is having more periods of awake time, and she has a lot to soak in with her brothers running all over the place. They still adore her, thankfully!