Summer's Over (sort of!)

So the blog has missed ALL of summer break! The biggest change since then is: the kids are swimming!!! It was a loooooong road and a lot of work but they are really doing it! They had 16 lessons (3xs a week for over a month!) and Ms. Jessica really worked hard with them! Audrey was just starting to gain confidence and was kicking her legs but not really using her arms much. Madison was making very little effort, honestly. Barely a little kick here and there. She mostly just glided to the wall. By the end of lessons they were at least (mostly) not crying. The first lesson.....oh my geeee! Screamfest. Elana was our little star! By the end of lessons she was jumping in and returning to the wall all on her own, swimming short distances and back floating!

We have continued working with them 1-2 times a week and I am happy to report the progress they have made since ending swim lessons. I guess it finally just clicked and now I have 3 little fishes! Audrey is now using her arms AND legs to swim and as long as she keeps her head down in the water, she's really moving!!! She is also doing very well jumping in and returning to the wall on her own. I loooooove her little sideways jump she does! Madison finally realized she can swim when she kicks her legs (imagine that!) After that day, it was all over. She is LOVING swimming and will ask to swim to you from the steps over and over again. She has also mastered jumping in and returning to the wall. Recently she swam nearly the width of the whole pool at Jemmie's house. Elana continues to do well also. She's a little more interested in playing with the toys than practicing her swimming but I think maybe that's just age related. She does this fun "chair jump" that they taught us in swim lessons. I think she likes it best when daddy does it because he adds some air to her jumps!! Going to the pool is now fun for everyone and they are crying when we have to leave instead of when we get there. Success in my book :)

We spent the majority of the summer in swim lessons, then had a break without any real plans besides the usual crazy. This week was the first week of school. All 3 kids are now attending their little school and they did surprisingly well! I was sure Elana was going to have a fit when I dropped her off but she did really well and didn't cry at all! Her teachers were just in love with her and begged us to sign her up for another day! Audrey and Madison did well at drop off also (yay!) I think they found comfort in their little buddy Charlotte who was also in their class last year. The teacher also said they had a great first day! Hooray! Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a peaceful lunch and Lowes run.

I'm keeping super busy working 1-2 days a week, keeping up with the kids and the house and driving Rusty crazy with all my little projects. I've been trying to eliminate unnecessary chemicals in our lives and have been making a lot of my own products....and saving money too!!!! So far I've made a sugar scrub, facial scrub, lotion, deodorant, laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. Next on the list is hand sanitizer and bug spray made from my *new* essential oils. When I'm not doing all that, I'm reorganizing the closets and planning the remodel for our laundry area, mudroom area in the garage as well as the re-do of our master bath. Phew. I'm tired just thinking about all that at once!

The new Harry Potter has opened up at Universal and the summer has been busy for Rusty at work (and crazy hot!) He still gets up with us every morning and goes on outings or helps me get the crazies ready for an outing. He loves me and I am so very lucky and thankful for that. I know it may come as a shock, but all the projects I do that make me happy, also make me crazy and not always fun to be around. I am an ongoing work in progress....sigh.

So, what's new?

Audrey: This kid comes up with the craziest things! It is almost ALWAYS a fight to get her to eat her meal. So I'll portion out a little on her plate and tell her what she needs to eat so that she can be done. One night I said, frustrated, "Just eat this food I put in the square right here." Not missing a beat she says "It's not a square mom. It's a rectangle." WTH! Seriously?! How can you be mad and almost laughing at the same time? She continues to be out of her room the second her clock turns green at nap time. She will entertain herself, usually painting with water colors. That's a most favorite activity lately. I'll be getting dinner fixed in the kitchen and sometimes she will come out and help. The latest meal she helped with was breading chicken fingers. She gets the biggest smile on her face and you can really tell she is proud of the fact that she helped mommy fix dinner! Things seem to be getting better between she and Elana as well. I'll catch her being a little mommy to her or bossing her around in a sweet, big sister kind of way. The relationship between A&M seems to be hit or miss, and probably always will be. They are ripping each other apart and screaming one minute and giggling and playing together like best buds the next.

Madison: She's in a transition stage with her naps and usually gets up a grump! After a few minutes she warms up and will paint water colors with Audrey or put a puzzle together. Sometimes she wants to help with dinner also which inevitably creates a sister brawl! In the mornings, Madison has been getting up as the clock strikes 7:45am and her ready-to-wake clock turns green. I will usually wake up to A&M playing quietly in the living room. They have figured out how to get into the closet with all their crafts so they are painting (making a mess) with watercolors, crayons, markers, legos, puzzles, etc. etc. BUT, I do usually get to keep my tired head on the pillow until 8:00 or even 8:15 because little E will sleep until 8:30 or so (bless her). I still keep as much locked up like Ft. Knox as I can but Madison does like to dress herself in the morning. If I forget to set out clothes for her, I will usually find her in the most favorite outfit she can find in the dirty clothes basket....hahaha. The funniest thing she's done lately is play with the water spear in the back yard. Daddy was trying to wind down the outside time and was collecting all the toys. He asked Madison to bring the water spear to him and she walked slowly toward him and said "ok daddy, here you go...." and took aim and fired a direct hit of water! She learns from the best ;) Lately we have been dealing with some major listening problems but she has a kind heart and is a fantastic helper. She is my go to for "special jobs" and is always first to volunteer to set the table for dinner.

Elana is still my little sweetheart! I admit I have a soft spot for her...probably because she's not in the "terrible 3's" stage (yet!)...hahaha. She is really talking a lot now and can carry on a conversation with other people. It's so weird to watch your BABY carry a conversation. Of course, she doesn't think she's a baby! It's fun to watch her frolic around with the other two...she goes along with whatever crazy game they are playing and is only one step behind everything the older two are doing. One of their favorite things to do right now is to pretend there is a bear (RAWRRR!) and they will run and scream. Sometimes they involve Layla and get her going too. Poor Layla. Elana has hit, kicked, jumped on, tried to ride, pulled the tail of that poor dog and she just takes it. Last night I explained to her that she needs to be nice and not hit doggie and that she needed to apologize to Layla for being mean. She walks over to Layla, gives her a big hug around the neck, lays her head on her and says "I sorry Layla, I wuv you" in the sweetest little voice. Another fun game for her right now is playing with Daddy in the pool. Daddy will swim underwater, poke his head up and say RAWRRR! She'll laugh and squeal and tell him "Say RAWR to me daddy!" And of course he does <3 nbsp="" p="">

This life is so crazy and hectic right now but full of sweet moments. It's hard to soak them all in when you're in the thick of it, so it's really nice to reflect like this and reset. I think one of the hard things about motherhood is focusing on the good. Everyone says "enjoy every moment, before you know it they are going to be grown." Which is said with all good intention and really is true. But to be in it, day after day, cooking, cleaning, breaking up fights, disciplining, questioning everything, wondering if you are making the right parenting choices, wondering if you are ever going to feel rested again, if your husband is still going to love you when the dust settles, wondering if you are screwing up at this parenthood thing, it's really tough to enjoy EVERY moment. I just hope and pray that what I'm doing is enough. When the kids look back to their childhood, I hope they remember a happy days with a mom and dad that love each other and them than anything.

Summer time's here!

As usual, lots happening in our lives since my last post! Last month, Rusty and I took a 3 night cruise to the Bahamas. It was our first big trip away from all the kids and the first overnight stay away from Elana! Everything went very well at home and we had a great time as well. Glad that first trip is "out of the way" so we can relax a little more and enjoy the next trip. Date: TBA! And what's a Disney cruise without booking.....ANOTHER Disney cruise?! Next year, the family will be headed to Miami for a 4 night cruise. I know the kids are going to be sooooo excited!

This week was the last week of school. Audrey and Madison really loved being in Ms. Lisa and Ms. Noelia's class this year! In the fall, they are on to the 3s class and after that pre-K. So weird to think of them being in school every day. For now, they'll just be going once a week and Elana will be joining her big sisters at school in the fall which is also very exciting!!! Four full hours kid free!

Until then, we will just have to enjoy summer! Tonight we had the sprinklers going and the kids were running through the water with buckets on their heads. Ah, love nice evenings! Monday, the kids start swim lessons, so hoping that goes well. We will see......

Audrey: This kid has really been a chatter box lately! Talking, telling stories, imaginary play, negotiations for getting out of swim lessons, the list goes on! I am amazed at her memory also. She will ask me about things that happened months ago and remember details about the events. The big news with this girl is that she now poops on the potty! Woah, big deal here! Grandma convinced her to go while Daddy and I were away on vacation and she's been going ever since! Another big development is that she is free-hand drawing letters. She has always been really into coloring and she's been asking me to draw letters for her to trace. This week she busted out with "Look mommy! I drew A's and H's!" and sure enough she had!

Madison: Madison really ended up having a great year at school. I was worried because she was so upset the first couple of days I left her, but now she's doing great and becoming more and more independent. She seems very excited about upcoming swim lessons and I hope she really does enjoy them! We've been having some issues with her pushing or having temper tantrums if she doesn't get her way but she's mostly an easy going kid. After bath, she will run into her room and get herself all dressed and ready for bed...all on her own! She also goes in and get herself dressed for the day in the mornings. Sometimes its pretty crazy looking but Madison is always happy with her selection :) She's eager to help with the night routine and brushing her teeth has become a lot easier since she came to the dentist office with me. The hygienist was really sweet and explained how to brush her teeth and it seemed to make it click!

Elana: Elana has become very, very verbal in the past few weeks. She is using sentences a lot of the time and is using new words frequently. I find myself thinking "did she just say what I think she said?!" I am also having more trouble differentiating the voices when they are all in their room for nap. I sometimes really have to strain to figure out who is talking: Madison, Audrey or Elana! Elana is starting to enter the "terrible twos" although I do hate to label! She has been known to throw down quite the temper tantrum if she doesn't get her way. However, I will say, she is easier to deal with than A&M many times because she is still fairly distractible. It also helps to really talk to her and try to figure out what's wrong. She can usually tell you! We also use the phrase "are you done now?" a lot. She'll either say no and cry more, or take a deep breath, say yes, and continue playing. Another good one is "are you sad?" or "do you need a kiss?" that fixes a lot of problems also :) She's also just started to name her abuser after a scuffle. She'll start crying and run up to you saying "Ma-son" or "A-jee" if they did something offensive or mean!

Never a dull moment here! Lots of excitement coming this week with swim lessons starting and then Father's Day! 

Audrey and Madison turn THREE!

Life in the Jones world is still spinning at top speed. Audrey and Madison recently celebrated their birthday and we had a big party to celebrate! Instead of gifts this year, we asked party guests to make a donation to the Pet Rescue by Judy charity. It was nice to take the focus off of gifts and on to spending quality time with family and friends, and giving back to the community! Grandma and Grandpa rented the girls a bounce house and it was soooo much fun. The kids had an absolute blast!

Since my last post, we have completed the guest bathroom remodel! It's been changed from an olive green to a cheerful yellow with lots of girly accents! We finally tore out the laminate and had tile laid after all this time. So happy with how it turned out!

We also took our second camping trip with all 3 kiddos. It went really well overall except everyone had the grumpies on the last day from lack of sleep! It's so great to spend that quality time with friends. Best of all, it was supposed to rain all weekend but it really only sprinkled a few times. I hope that the kids grow up with happy memories of camping like I have!

Lots of changes in the life of Audrey. Recently, we started taking her to see a chiropractor. She had just gotten to the point that she seemed very unhappy, crying often with lots of outbursts. She has struggled with constipation for some time now and I think that may have contributed to the problem. After the first adjustment, we already noticed an improvement. Now, she gets adjusted regularly and is on a regimen to help with her regularity (ha). She seems so much happier and I'm only sorry we didn't start seeing Dr. Erin sooner! I have stepped a bit further into the hippy zone with a more holistic approach to raising my kids, but it works for us so that's ok with me. Along with the chiropractic care, we also started using some essential oils. It's nice to be able to offer the kids relief that doesn't come in the form of mediation!! In fact, we cleared two separate ear infections in ONE DAY by using adjustment, essential oils and breastmilk. I'm sold!

Anyway, back to Audrey. She seems to be enjoying the special time she gets with mommy and daddy when it's her day to get adjusted. We also were having some nap time issues so I bought a "ready to wake" clock. It's been a huge help getting her to stay in the room at rest time (and eliminated a lot of whining and crying too!) She's always up at 3:30 sharp when her light comes on. She continues to enjoy helping me get dinner ready or playing outside. Her imagination is really developing too. She will self entertain and run around telling a story or singing a song. Some of her favorite activities to do right now is play with playdoh or paint! 

Elana's a real mess! She's becoming her own independent little person with (strong) opinions! Overall she's a really happy little girl that loves her mama! She's still nursing a couple of times a day but her sessions are shorter as the days go on. I would like to continue until she's two, at the recommendation of the AAP, but of course if she weans before then, it's her choice! I never would have pictured myself being an "extended" breastfeeder but motherhood changes so many things you thought you knew about life :) So hard to believe she's turning into a toddler and she's not my little baby anymore! Her verbal skills are probably the best of all the kids at this age. She says tons of words and regularly links two words together like "daddy's book" or "Elana's shirt." It's also really cute hear her refer to people...Poppie is one of her favorites...he is her little buddy! She just said "Tia" for the first time today ("bye-bye Tia")! and she refers to Madison as "ma-ma" and Audrey is usually "sissy" but she has started trying to say "A-jee" too! I wouldn't say she has a favorite craft at this point, just whatever the big girls are doing, she's not to be left out!!!! All I'm saying, is I'm glad paint and playdoh are non-toxic products because she eats A LOT of them! When she's not eating art, she's digging in the dirt in the back yard, chasing Layla, or doing daredevil stunts down the slide or on the swings.

Madison is such a good helper. She is (usually) willing to help clean up the toys at the end of the day, or help Audrey re-lace the velcro on her shoes, or put the dirty clothes in the hamper. Her favorite thing right now is puzzles and Mickey. If she can't watch MMCH, she's asking to play with puzzles!!!! Right now she can do as many as 48 pieces! She can also be a little bit bossy, making sure that everyone is following the rules....which gets her into trouble, sigh. She also has this funny thing she does when you are talking to her. If she doesn't want to hear what you say, she'll say "What?!" practically before you even finish what you're saying...haha. She recently became potty trained day and night. She had been dry several nights in a row so I encouraged her to choose some underwear for bed. She was NOT having it. So we had some special time and went to the store and she got to choose some new, special, bedtime undies. Of course, she choose SUPER MICKEY! and that was it! Potty trained night and day. Only one overnight accident so far. So crazy they are old enough to be done, done with diapers! During that trip, I also discovered she really likes to go grocery shopping with me and is actually, truly a good helper at the store too! Amazing how sweet these kiddos can be off on their own :)

Now, off to bed! I have to wear my nurse hat for a little bit tomorrow when I go in for a class. Don't get me started. In the coming months, I'm counting down the days until Rusty and I go on our kidless cruise, wow! It's been over 3 years! We have a lot of re-energizing to do! The kids will also be doing swim lessons this summer so that should be.....interesting!

Life lately. November, December and January....

Keeping up with this blog is proving more and more difficult for me! Between trying to keep up with the usual household duties, picking up some extra shifts at work, surviving Christmas, and trying to remodel and organize multiple areas of our house at once, I am utterly overwhelmed. Honestly, it's silly. I get to spend 5-6 days a week home with my family. I should be grateful for that (and I am) but I just feel those special moments slipping away. Some experiences with my children are truly priceless and I never want to forget them but I am learning that time fades so many great memories (and bad ones too thankfully...haha). I want to be better at keeping up with my kids lives by being current on their photo albums, home movies, art albums and things like this blog and my little notebooks where I write down funnies and everyday precious moments. First world mommy problems.

 

As Elana enters her second year, I've decided it's ok to work a few extra shifts a month. It's good for my sanity and good for the budget too! Not to mention that I'm simultaneously trying to remodel and re-tile both bathrooms in my house, organizing the garage, making the master bedroom a retreat instead of a dumping ground, organize my kitchen cabinets, purging my closet and making room for a build in desk in there. What a grand plan.....It will be grand in the end though! We've needed to do some things for "us" as a couple for um....about 3 years now :)

Our family of 5 Christmas morning was really nice and the girls had a great time trying out their tricycles! Madison is getting really good on hers and Audrey isn't overly interested at this point! Elana is having a great time tagging along beside the older two! We spent Christmas Eve with my mom, Christmas day at our place and then to Grandma and Pawpaw Hodge. The following day we had dinner with dad and came home and watched Superman! Really enjoyed our time with family this year!

Rusty has been busy at work. He is enjoying his job overall, although they have a few rides that have been giving them plenty of trouble! It's also been very cold the past few weeks and working outside or in a building that doesn't have heat has been a bit of a challenge, coupled with a case of food poisoning from work food makes for a fun time (not!) He has been working 4 10 hour shifts instead of his usual 5 8s. This has been really nice having him an extra day but he is also getting home later which makes doing morning activities with the kids a bit of a challenge. He has a good attitude and is very good at balancing my long list of needs (van, house, personal) with everyday life and work. I am lucky to have such a great husband and father to my kids <3 p="">
Our little ladies are growing up so fast! Here's a little about them these days....

Elana: My little pistol! She said her first word just after she turned one. We were watching a home movie I had made from video clips and she saw Layla walk across the screen. She pointed and said "Layla!!" and hasn't stopped talking since!!! It seems like she is pronouncing words better and saying more and more words by the day! Elana is a little chatter box and is always asking for daddy! She pokes her little lips out and says "da-da, da-da" over and over :) She is still very attached to her momma though! When I leave to take the big girls to preschool, she cries when I leave and asks for me until I return. When I get home, she hears me open the door and I see her little face light up when she realizes it's me. She will run to me saying "mama!!!!" One of my favorite things she does right now is wrap her arms around your neck and lay her little head on your shoulder. She gives the best hugs and it is really one of the sweetest things ever! Elana loves to be involved in whatever her big sisters are doing. She is especially fond of painting and coloring! She knows Mickey and Minnie as well as most of the other characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Some of her latest tricks are pointing out her body parts, especially her nose, belly button, eyes and ears. She also points to her diaper when it is dirty (early potty trainer?!) and loves to give me a heart attack when she climbs up the slide or into the swing in the back yard. Yesterday I went to the store and asked her if she wanted to ride in the cart or with me and she clearly said "backpack!" Way to make mama feel loved <3 br="">

 

Madison: Little stinker! She has this funny little face she does where she scrunches up her nose, looks at you and says something sassy! One of her favorite things to do right now is put puzzles together. She can put together 24 piece puzzles effortlessly! We have a box of mickey puzzles she assembles in just minutes...it's amazing. She's got a whole thought process behind it too. Smarty pants! Lately, we have had issues with the older girls acting out so we started having day dates. Once a week we take one of them for one-on-one time. It's really enjoyable to get them out on their own and see their individual personality blossom! We took Madison to Monkey Joes and she had a BLAST! She was going down the biggest slides they had all by herself. Sometimes I look at her and I am shocked to see the beautiful little girl she is becoming.

 

Audrey: Oh Audrey. The zombie arm is still strong with this one! Once you get past the whining, she is such a pleasant and sweet little girl! We found that when we separate her from Madison, she will just chatter, chatter, chatter! She loves to talk and it's not necessarily TO anyone other than herself :) Audrey is also really into painting these days. Give that girl some watercolors and a pad of paper and she will go to town! Today we painted and she told me that she was drawing a dinosaur and went on to explain about how it was a T-Rex and that she was drawing his feet. She definitely doesn't have the same connection with Elana that Madison does but she has her sweet moments. Sometimes she will share her toy with the baby without prompting or give her a little hug while she thinks no one is watching. She also loves to push he baby dolls around in the shopping cart. The other day I snapped a picture of her with her "two babies." It's also fun to see the wheels start turning about being a twin herself. We don't use the term "twins" in our home so I'm not sure she knows that but she will point out that she and Madison were in mommy's tummy together!

 

I sure love my little girls (and their daddy too!) Times like these, when I think about the happy times, makes my heart swell with love. There are also plenty of hard times, especially with the trying age of 2-3 year olds and Elana beginning to assert herself. I struggle daily to find balance between work and play. I can only hope I am giving them the happy childhood they need and deserve. 

Catching up. August, September and October.

I hate that! You are already stressing about being behind on blogging, thinking you've got 2 months to talk about when in fact, you have THREE! That's a whole quarter of a year that has gone by in an absolute blink. So here it is in a nutshell:

August: Our big news in August was sending Audrey and Madison to school. We went to "meet the teacher" and got to meet Ms. Cindy and Ms. Lisa and play with all the toys! They go once a week and Rusty and I pretend we only have 1 kid for a few hours! Haha. The first few drop offs were really hard for Madison (and mommy!). Now they both LOVE going to school and drop offs are painless. They ask about going to school and their teachers throughout the week :) To view our pictures, click here!

September: This month was pretty awesome considering we went on vacation! We booked our Disney cruise on our last one when I was 17 weeks pregnant with Elana! First, we spent 2 nights at the Lowes Royal Pacific hotel. We spent time at the parks and hung out by the pool. Then our 4 night Disney cruise was a dream! We were joined by my in-laws, dad, sister and cousins and their daughter. When we got home, it was time for my 10 year reunion. It was fun to catch up with old friends and people watch! You can see more pictures here.

October: This is a fun month for us! We did lots of things for Halloween this year! We started off with a trip to SeaWorld's Spooktacular. The kids didn't really "get" the trick or treating part but it was fun to see the exhibits and get the kids all dressed up!! Then of course we had to make the trip to the pumpkin patch. This was our 3rd year going and by far the most fun! The kids had a great time running around and picking out their pumpkins :) On the actual Halloween, I took the kids to my friend's neighborhood for trick or treating. Audrey was terrified by a little boy in our group dressed in a scary mask. Poor thing! But overall it was fun walking around in the dark collecting candy! Not to forget, our little Elana turned ONE this month. Mom hosted her party the weekend after the big day. On her actual birth-day we took her to Grammy's indoor playplace for a special treat! Pictures here.

 

As of my last entry, Audrey wasn't giving us much trouble in the scheme of things. Lately she has been a challenge! I think she and Madison are taking turns driving me crazy :) I try to remind myself that this is a phase that every kid goes through and has to go through to learn about the world. It's almost like you can see the wheels turning, "if I do this, what will happen? how much can I get away with?" So I try to be as consistent as possible with my disciple, trying to find that fine balance in parenthood where you get your child to behave without squashing their spirit. Most of the time, she wants things done in a certain way or in a certain order. Can't fault her for that...hehe. A little too much like her mother!! Anyway, lots of NOs and I DON'T WANT TOs happening around here but usually nothing a little time-out doesn't fix! Rusty and I always call her Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde because she can be raging one moment and sweet as pie the next! Overall she is a good girl and loves her mama. You can still find me carting her around in the Boba from time to time when she needs a little extra attention. It's a rare day that she naps but that's ok because she usually just plays and sings quietly in her room while Madison naps (or they play together and destroy..haha). We have had many special moments during the nap hour when Madison and Elana are napping and Audrey "helps" get dinner fixed or with some baking. She is becoming an independent little lady and never fails to bust out with something crazy/funny. Now I understand why people always say "kids say the darndest things!" 

 

Madison, who had been our "difficult" child for a few months with the boundary testing has become the more mellow of the two. She goes with the flow most days and is helpful more often than not. When I need a "special helper" I always ask Madison. She is very good at following directions :) She always helps pick up the dirty clothes and put them in the hamper and is very good at picking up toys or putting those puzzles together that come with a million pieces. We have made amazing strides with the potty training. One week before the cruise, the girls decided they wanted to wear underwear. So we went with it, a little apprehensive just before vacation but they did GREAT! Madison was certainly the ring-leader in this situation and pushed Audrey into being ready. As of today, Madison only wears a pull-up at night. She pees and poops in the potty all day and even naps without accidents. We are SO proud of these two! One of the most precious thing she does right now is, just before I close the door at nap and bedtime she says, "Mommy, I love you SOO much!" It warms my heart!

 

It's so hard to believe our sweet girl is one! She is truly a joy in our lives! Most of the time she is happy, easy going and self-entertaining. She likes to point and grunts at everything, wanting to know the words. She gets the biggest smile on her face and giggles over seemingly nothing. This age is so precious!! We even made it the full year of breastfeeding. I'm so happy and proud that she never had to have any formula and I had pumped not only enough milk for her, but also had stored a freezer full of milk and donated to 5 other babies! Now that she's one, she still nurses through the day but not as much. She's a busy little thing and doesn't like to be slowed down :) It is nice to get that special cuddle time. I'm not sure how long we'll go but I think I'll leave that up to her. One thing is for sure, she thinks she is a long lost triplet to Audrey and Madison. Anything they do, she tries to do! Whenever she does something she knows is a big girl thing she gets the biggest smile on her face. Always so pleased with herself! Her latest thing is being obsessed with shoes! She found the basket of shoes I keep in her dresser and will go there, choose a shoe (or two!) and bring it to me to put on her. Then she runs around the house looking so happy. Crazy little girl. She is such a blessing <3 p="">
Rusty: I can't imagine how he must feel living with 4 women (and a female dog!) but he does it well! He is a great daddy and is always helpful to me around the house. They have been very short at work lately so he's been doing some overtime trying to fill in. Overall he is happy with work and especially happy now that Halloween Horror nights is over :) In his "spare time" he likes to work on his mustang. hahahahaha. Oh I'm sorry....did I say something about spare time....

Shelby: I'm holding steady working one day a week (at my paid job!) I would like to work more but that time will come. For now I'm (mostly) enjoying being at home with my babies. The work is exhausting between keeping 3 kids under 3 happy, fed, clean, the house clean-ish, the dog fed, the laundry done, the checkbook balanced, the grocery shopping done, the projects completed, and the list goes on. October was incredibly busy and November is going to be even more so. There are some days I feel completely overwhelmed and over my head and other days not so much. Trying hard to focus on one day at a time. Every time I look at my girls they look older. I'm constantly criticizing the job I'm doing as their mother and hope with all my heart that I am giving them the happy childhood they deserve. There are days that they are so terribly whiney and irritable that I'm not sure I can make it though the day and other times that they are so incredibly sweet it fills my heart with happiness. I never imagined motherhood could be this way. Such a constant roller coaster ride of emotions. I am so blessed to be able to be home with them and watch them grow up. I wonder about the kind of children/teenagers/young women they will become. I guess only time will tell and for now, I'm going to try taking this one day at a time.
 

June and July

Catch up time! In June, Rusty turned the big 3-0!!! We celebrated by renting a convertible mustang, getting a massage and spending a day at the beach. It was great to kick back and relax for a day. So glad I chose such a great birthday gift for us him. :) We also spent time with friends for a kid-free dinner out. It was so nice to catch up without time-outs and kid duty interfering! This month we also enjoyed taking the kids to the beach and our preschool co-op made a visit to the Oviedo fire station.

Not much to report in July. I was able to pick up a few extra shifts at work since Grandma is off work for the summer so we laid low. The highlight of the month was our fun trip to the science center! We went with a group of friends and their kids and are looking forward to purchasing a membership sometime in the near future. It was so fun to watch the kids see things they had never seen before! Audrey and Madison talked about the "dinosaur at the science center" and "pushing the button to make the dinosaur move" for a solid week.

In July we also transitioned the girls to toddler beds. Oh boy. Double trouble is an understatement. Everything in their room is locked and tethered down, everything removed except essentials in order to make it as boring as possible in hopes that they will nap/sleep/not destroy my house. If I said it's been a zoo, that would be an understatement. It sounds like a teenage slumber party in there at naptime everyday! At night, they screamed bloody murder for the first 2 weeks and demanded I "put it back." It being the crib rail. We seem to be settling down, finally. Madison occasionally falls asleep on the floor at naptime but Audrey has not slept except for bedtime when she falls exhausted into bed! There's been poop hiding, mattress tossing and who knows what else. But you know what? I don't sleep in a crib and everything is ok. Someday they will grow out of the shenanigans (I hope.)

Everyone loves a good poop story, so here it is: The girls had taken off their diapers during "nap". I found poop smudged on the mattress, the bed frame and Audrey's shirt. But no poop. Audrey's seemingly clean diaper was sitting on the changing table. I found the mystery poop in 2 separate dresser drawers (despite drawer locks). I thought that was it. Then the next morning, Madison kept saying "Audrey poop" and pointing under the dresser. Another mystery turd found. Good news? I figured out where the lingering poop smell was coming from!

 

Madison is our little wild child! She's always one step ahead, hands everywhere and into everything! Since my last post she has become VERY verbal and is now speaking in full sentences. We were so worried when she was almost 2 and hardly saying any words when our pediatrician told us to enjoy it. Soon she would be chatting our ears off. Boy was he right! She sings song, can carry on a conversation, count to 15 and can recognize most letters and colors. Right now her favorite color is BLUE! and her favorite song is Mary Had a Little Lamb. It's the most highly requested tune in the house! Play dough is also a favorite right now! She is still a major daddy's girl and asks for him all the time when he is at work. As crazy as she can be, she is also incredibly sweet at times. She asks me all the time when we are sitting down to eat "mommy, is it good?" If Elana is crying she runs over, pets her head and says "It's ok baby!" Funny how things you say and do get mirrored back to you :)

 

 

Audrey is our little emotional child. She's great at independent play, doesn't really get into things or tear the house apart (unless she is Madison's partner in crime). But oh my, don't take something she is playing with, had played with or is thinking about playing with. Don't touch her chair, her cup, her dolly, her blanket, her bed, and please, don't push her down the slide because an emotional meltdown will occur! Oh, and don't sing in the car either, gah! One of her favorite things to do right now is help mommy fix dinner. If she sees me fixing food in the kitchen she begs for the chair to stand on so she can help. I usually have her help me when (if) Madison naps. It's fun to have a little 1 on 1 time with her once in awhile. We usually juice, make smoothies, or something else useful to prepping dinner. She is also getting very good at recognizing colors and letters and is always singing some tune. She also LOVES to paint and make hand prints (and mistakenly used a marker one day as lip gloss!)

 

 

 

Elana is our little sweetheart (for now). She is generally very happy and smiley and is great at self entertainment! She's all over the place and climbing. Oh the climbing. If she gets on the couch, she will pull herself up on the counter top bordering the kitchen. We had to turn her crib backwards because she almost climbed out one day. She has learned how to turn the Elmo chairs around, throw out the toys in her way, and climb on up! She's taken a few nasty spills and I feel pretty lucky she hasn't really injured herself from all the craziness I've witnessed! We spend a lot of time playing outside and she's ALL OVER the back yard, chasing Audrey and Madison, exploring or just looking for mischief! We joke that she's going to be the most mischievous of them all, I mean she's learning from the best right?! As charming as she is, she's got that spark of naughty in her shining through already. If she's doing something she isn't supposed to, she'll give you a huge stinker smirk! She is still a major mama's girl but is starting to give daddy the time of day once in awhile :) A few days ago she even took her first steps! I can't believe my little baby is starting to toddle around. Happy but sad feelings all mixed in one.

 

August brings some new changes to our routine. The big girls will start a new preschool one day a week. I'm sure it will be an adjustment for them but I'm hoping they love it as much as they loved their last school! The rest of the month, I'm sure I'll be scrambling to get ready for our Disney cruise in September. Who knew so much planning could go into a 4 night vacation?!

April and May

The past two months (years?!) have been very busy for the Joneses! In April we celebrated Audrey and Madison's second birthday...wow, time flies!! We actually hosted parties two weeks in a row! It just so happened that none of the friends with kids could make it to the original party date so we just had two parties, one with kids and one without. It was really great getting together with family and friends to celebrate our two special little girls :)

We did end up finishing our home improvement projects. Rusty (with a little help) was able to install all of our new fence in two weekends. We also added a new shed to the backyard and got some great "build ins" for storage in our dining area. I'm still getting all the decorative stuff figured out, pictures, etc. but it's all up and organized! That was quite a feat!

We also survived a month of daddy working mandatory overtime to get ready for the new ride, Transformers, to open at Universal Studios. We are so glad to have him home more!! As for me, I'm still working once a week at the hospital and it seems to be working out well. It's great to be able to stay home with my girls!

 

Madison is still a very happy kid, still mischevious and pretends not to hear you when you correct her but overall good :) She has just started to sing some parts of songs which is new! She is getting very good at puzzles. We did our first "real" puzzle today...it had 4 pieces and she put it together over and over again...it kept her entertained a good 45 minutes! I was very impressed! She is also SO good with Elana...she shares everything with her except her blankie..hehe. She is always interacting with her and can get her to smile and laugh easier than anyone! Lately she has been OBSESSED with the vacuum. I'm not sure what it is. She's terrified of it and asks if you are going to vacuum all the time. Anytime we tidy up she automatically thinks it's because I'm going to use it! I'm puzzled. She is also fascinated by the frogs and the lizards in the backyard. She has this cute little gasp when she sees them :) We have a tree frog that likes to hang out under the grill cover and she always goes there and looks for him and if she sees him *gasp* HI FROGGY. HI HI HIII FROGGY!!!!

 

Elana is ALL OVER the place! She started scooting around at 5 months and now she crawls everywhere and pulls up on everything! She has even stood on her own. not holding onto anything. I am so amazed by her! She also started on solids just before her 6 month "birthday." This kid will eat anything you put in front of her with ease! Avocado slices, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, green beans, quartered grapes, puffs, cantaloupe, apples, chicken even. There isn't a food I've found that she DOESN'T like...except maybe tart blueberries! Of course, we introduced her to solids via 'baby led weaning' and I liked that approach with the big girls but Elana has seemed to have much more success, earlier. She's a bit of a mama's girl and is going through a mommy clingy phase right now but that's ok. Most times when this happens I just toss her on my back and carry her around in my Boba until she gets bored and wants to crawl around..haha. We still have lots of work to do in the sleep department. She's still up 1-3 times in the night to nurse, although, I'm not in a rush to cut these out because she's probably our last but 7 months of sleep deprivation is wearing!

 

Audrey is quite the little stinker these days! It's a rare day if she takes a nap in the afternoon. Like, once every 2 weeks or so! So, I usually let her have quiet time from 2-3:30 or so. She'll usually call for me when she's over quiet time...ha. Luckily Madison can sleep through most anything! She will play quietly until it's time to go get Madison about 4:30 or so. It's a good time for us to play one on one (or for me to finish getting dinner ready!) Audrey is a very verbal child and most days amazes me speaking in full sentences! She also loves to sing and knows the lyrics to lots of children's rhymes...she sings a lot with Grandma! We are just getting over almost 2 weeks of sickness at the house and we've been watching way too much Mikey Mouse Clubhouse. Let me tell you, she knows the theme song start to finish and the words to the episodes. She stands in front of the TV and randomly just starts talking along with Mickey! How crazy!

 

 

Speaking of Mickey! Our cruise is in a few short months (3) but who's counting? When we booked this cruise I was just 17 weeks pregnant with Elana and thought about how great it would be that the girls would be 'big girls' at 2 1/2 years old and the baby would be 11 months. Yes, and now that it's approaching I'm getting very nervous about how sleeping arrangements are going to work, naptime, potty training, meal time, etc. etc. etc. Hopefully it will be a vacation to remember (in a good way!)

 

 

In June, Rusty turns 30!!!!! I have a special day date planned with him and I can't wait!

February and March

Ok, this is long over due. If there's anyone that still reads this thing, here you go!

Life. Is. Busy. OMG, I wish time could just slow down for a little bit (please!) Not only are my babies growing up but there are lots of things to do. Besides maintaining the house and trying to keep some sort of order we are undertaking several big home improvement projects at once. New fence, new shed, new built in bookcases and maybe, eventually, a new toilet in the guest bath are in order. Did I mention we are drowning in regular, everyday tasks? Who's great idea was this? I can't even point the finger at my wonderful spouse because everyone knows it was MINE! God love him for putting up with me!

Besides the busy factor, life is good. The girls are behaving a bit better these days and I think we owe it to time outs. Elana is also becoming easier to manage as she is able to sit up, look around and entertain herself for moments here and there. Two days a week the big girls get out of the house and get some brain stimulation. One day is their official preschool day from 9-12 and the other is our co-op preschool group. It's great to get out and be with other mommies once a week! Other than the usual routine there haven't been any exciting outings besides two trips to SeaWorld. Guess that's what we get for being a family with 3 under 2 (guess we can't say that anymore though!) We also had our FIRST sick visit to the doctor when Audrey had an ear infection!

 

 

Besides the ear infection, Audrey has been doing well. We've had a major language explosion in this house! She now speaks in full sentences and is constantly chattering throughout the day! It isn't always easy to understand her but SHE knows what she's saying! She is a strong willed little thing and tests limits often. She doesn't like to be dirty (yucky toes!) and if she ever gets a hold of a wash cloth, she likes to wipe down the table. At the very end of March, she started cutting her incisors (finally). We've been waiting on those to pop through for awhile now. We are still struggling to get her to eat veggies but will usually eat the rest of her meal. If she sleeps at nap time, it's a real treat. Most days she just has quiet time while Madison naps but it makes bedtime easy. She's come to insist on routine (rock you! night light and a kiss good night for sissy). I love that the kiss each other before bed and "sign" I love you. So precious. I hope I never forget it!!

 

 

Madison is a happy little thing. She is also starting to verbalize a lot more. Her language is not quite as clear as Audrey's but she's getting there! Some of her favorite things to say right now are 'lawnmower' and 'vacuum.' Her 'lawnmower' sounds a lot like 'mommy' so I always think she is greeting me when I come home from the grocery store but really she's just letting us know the lawnmower is still in the garage! She continues to be a great eater and napper and even has enough hair for a ponytail and pig tails!!! One of her favorite things is putting puzzles together...she is getting really good! You can tell her mind is always spinning and working through how things work. Not to mention she is a little mother to Elana. She is always wanting to wipe the baby's face or bring her toys or her sippy cup. It's really sweet to see her love her little sister so much! Madison is a great helper to mommy too. She is always the first to 'help' with chores like emptying the dryer or picking up.

 



Elana is such a sweet baby! She has really advanced tremendously since my last post. She now sits up by herself and crawls. Yes....she is only 5 months old and crawling. I guess I got spoiled with Audrey and Madison not crawling until 10 months old...wow. Elana seems to be growing up so much faster. Overall, she has a great temperament as long as she is clean, fed and has something to play with. She is content to watch the big girls run around the house and gives them the biggest smiles first thing in the morning. Especially Madison, they are buddies!!! She even gave us 2 nights where she slept all the way through the night. It was like a little piece of heaven (after my heart started beating again after waking up wondering why it was light outside already and if she was still breathing in there!) The nights following those have not quite been so blissful but one day I won't get my early morning snuggles so I try to remember that through the sleep deprivation.

Of course, the month of April holds the BIG 2 birthday!!! I can't believe it's been two years already.

January

Luckily, January was a bit less hectic than December! Rusty and I were able to get away (with baby in tow) one night to the Royal Pacific resort. We went to dinner at Outback then to the hotel. We slept on and off until almost 11am! It was short and sweet and much needed.

The following weekend I returned to work. It went well and I'm glad to be back. As much as I love to stay home with my kids and be "mom" you start to feel like you are loosing a piece of your identity. It's nice to be a professional and use the other side of my brain one day a week :) So grateful that I have a job that allows me such flexibility...nursing is the perfect profession for mommies!

Although I'm finally back making some money, it's half of what I was making before Elana came along. So we are back on a tight budget, Dave Ramsey style. It feels good to get back on track and even though things are tighter than they were, we are comfortable. Living this way makes you so much more mindful about each dollar you spend. I've started shopping smarter at the grocery store, clipping coupons and eating out less. I've also (ambitiously) started making some shirts for the girls instead of buying. Really? Like I have time for that, but it is a good outlet for me. Crafting has taken a back seat the last few years!!!

The girls started preschool this month at the First Congregational Church in Winter Park. I'm so glad to be able to have a place for them to grow and learn in so many areas! Audrey could care less if I'm there or not but Madison is very shy and gets upset when I leave. It only lasts a few minutes (thankfully) and when I come back they are hugging their teacher Ms. Sue! They do this every Friday from 9-12 except when they are sick which seems to be all. the. time.

In other major news, we've started time out in our house. Joy. They can no longer be re-directed to avoid confrontations, temper tantrums are getting plain ridiculous and the hitting and pinching is at an all time high. Welcome to toddlerhood! The time-outs have seemed to help with some of these behavior problems but it certainly makes the house LOUD at times, if you know what I mean!

Madison is our drama queen. Lots of temper tantrums, throwing herself on the ground, screaming and kicking. She pinches and pushes Audrey and is always taking her toys. On the other hand, she LOVES her sister! Every time I give them a drink, she tells me "sissy!" takes the first cup and runs it over to Audrey. Every time! So sweet! She remains a great eater and napper (thank god!)

Audrey is very social and did well the the transition to school. At home, she's a clinger! She loves her momma! And oh my, she is a chatter bug! Talk, talk, talk. She's saying something all the time but we can't always understand. Her newest thing is to say "No, uh-uh." Charming. We are also struggling on and off with nap times and lately she has decided that she doesn't want to eat much other than bread and fruit. Carb queen!

Elana is becoming much more aware and likes to watch her big sisters run around the house. We got our first giggles this month also :) She has rolled over back to front and front to back. She now reaches for toys and lets you know when something is not to her liking. Thankfully, she is better about taking a bottle now! Rusty figured out a trick: she has to be in her swing, with the mobile running and the white noise on. I guess it's just distracting enough...? She is still up several times in the night and I'm hoping that this month she starts taking some longer stretches of sleep!!! Here's hoping.

In February, we are looking forward to starting our co-op with 5 other mommy-baby pairs. We all take turns "teaching" a lesson at our house. I'll be teaching the letter "D" later in the month.

December

Well, that was a doozie. As fun as December was, I'm glad it's over! This year we went to go see Santa earlier in the month, and earlier in the day (compared to last year). It still resulted in a one hour + wait time but we also added another child, a meltdown and a good poop story!

"Today we saw Santa. Waited an hour in line at lunch/naptime. Meltdown began and intensified as we approached Santa. As we walk our semi-traumatized kids back to the car Rusty tells me he smells poop. He explains it must be one of ours because the smell is following us. We get to the car and discover the guilty party (Madison). The ...poop exploded out of her diaper, is all over the inside of her dress and smeared all over the stroller. As rusty gags, his mom and I clean her up and strip her naked in the downtown Disney parking lot. Then I start feeding Elana so we can head home. Halfway thru I go to change her diaper only to discover IT is overflowing, all over the inside of HER dress and now, puddled up in my lap. {Insert more gagging} You know it's a true story bc there is no way I could have made that up. Moral of the story? When things go wrong, laugh. A lot. (And don't trust those disposables,ugh!)"

Towards the middle of the month my sister moved home from college (for good!) and Nolan came home on leave from the Army. He deploys to Afghanistan this month (January) so needless to say, we've had fun visiting with both of them!! The rest of the days leading up until Christmas were spent, well, getting ready for Christmas! Staying up late, wrapping gifts, making gifts, and a bit of online retail therapy (guilty!)

Speaking of Christmas. It was fun. I feel like it was the girls' first Christmas because last year, they didn't really realize it was a special day. This year I was actually giddy wondering what the girls' faces would look like Christmas morning. Paige came over to help me get all the gifts out so that it would all be ready for A&M. I'll have to admit I even enjoyed shopping for gifts for them. As much stuff as I knew they were going to be getting, I couldn't help but want that selfish satisfaction of seeing the happiness on their face as they saw their gifts. We actually had 3 days of Christmas. Eve day we went to mom's for brunch. We had a feast and it was delicious!!! Christmas day we opened gifts in the morning, Grandma and Grandpa came around lunch (more presents!) and then we went to Rusty's grandparents and then came home exhausted! The next morning we met Dad for brunch at Keke's....one of our favorite places to eat then watched MIB3 as the big girls napped.

Our 3 little ladies continue to blossom. Madison is starting to use more and more words everyday. Some of her favorite words this month are: poop, shoes, apples, outside, dirt, sissy and baby. Poop and baby are the 2 most frequently spoken words in this house! Baby because they just LOVE Elana. Madison is our little scout...whenever we go out to the backyard she immediately seeks out all of Layla's turds and stands there until you come pick them up with the scooper. She stands there the whole time saying "poop, poop, poop, poop" over and over again. I'm sure our neighbors get a kick out of our conversations. I'm usually saying "Madison, get off of there!" or "don't put that in your mouth! Yuck!" She took a pretty hard fall off her little slide today. I mean, I heard her hit the ground but it didn't even phase her...just up and off to her next adventure. She's always got some scratch, bruise or bug bite on her. She is one tough chick! Another one of Madison's favorite things to do is point out body parts, especially on the baby, especially her eyes. But she is obsessed with belly buttons, especially Tia's because it has a ring in it. She is always yanking up Paige's shirt and pointing at her belly button!!

 

Audrey is a chatty Kathy, OMG! Her favorite phrase lately is "I see you!" It's amazing what they pick up and you don't even realize you say things until they get repeated back to you. We actually call her our little parrot because she repeats EVERYTHING. When reading a story, she'll say the last word of each phrase. And they have all the books memorized, by the way. If the next page says something about toes, they are pointing to their toes before I even turn the page. She is also starting to grasp the concept of sharing. She will give Madison food off her plate and say "sissy, share." But when she has a toy she is playing with that Madison wants she'll start saying "share! share! share! share!" Meaning, I understand this is 'our' toy but right now it is MINE and YOU have to share with ME! We'll keep working on this one...Not to mention everything in our house is on repeat. She will repeat "shirt on" until you put on her shirt at which time she begins repeating "pants on." It drives you (me) a little batty when you are in the middle of dressing your other child but it's interesting to hear what's going on inside their head! Sometimes she says to me "daddy gone, work" hours after Rusty has left for work. Another thing she has just started doing is coming up to you saying "hug" or "kiss" and then giving you a hug or kiss. So, so sweet.

 

Elana is becoming a little more predictable everyday. She is starting to fall into a routine and we are both learning! She is awake more often during the day and is a very easy going baby MOST of the time. Now that I think about it, we kind of have stations for her. Her Bumbo is on the kitchen table (I know, bad mommy!) But that is where she sits while we eat our meals. She is in her bouncy seat if she's awake during big girl nap time and I'm cooking or cleaning in the kitchen. The rest of the time she is content to have tummy time (yes, she actually enjoys tummy time!) or lay on her back and watch the girls run back and forth. One thing we are still struggling with is getting her to take a bottle. She's taken every ounce of milk straight from the tap since birth...unless you count the milk that's dripped into her mouth while she's refusing the bottle! It's amazing how you forget all that the second she flashes that huge smile at you and starts cooing. She is SO smiley, I really am enjoying this stage!

Rusty is tired. He gets up everyday with the big girls and gets them breakfast. Then he does whatever I have planned for the morning...lol...and around 1pm heads off to work! He gets home late in the evening. He's like me, tired but happy. We reminisce often about the days of sleeping in. A distant memory...ha!

 

As for me, I'm returning to work this month! I have a huge to-do list to take care of before that happens but it's looking like the middle of the month. I'm looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time. I think I'm a better mom when I can get out, talk to other adults and use the 'other' side of my brain. Other than that, I'm more tired than ever, I look like hell, an emotional roller coaster at times but I'm happier than I've ever been. My husband is kind and understanding, helpful, and an awesome dad; my kids are healthy (my kids! I have 3 kids!) and happy...most of the time. I'm a mom that gets to raise my kids, working one day a week. It's everything I've ever wanted in life and I am so very, very thankful.

In January we'll be staying at one of the Universal hotels as a little get away. We'll be taking the baby as she can't quite be away from her moo cow for that long yet but heck, having one kid is practically a vacation at this point! Hopefully we'll be getting to SeaWorld again soon as one of my Christmas gifts was an annual pass. Check in next month for more updates :)

October & November

Ok, so I might have missed last month but to say I've been busy is an understatement :) But hey, you got my birth story!!!

Early in October we took a trip to the pumpkin patch and had a really great time. We even got a short visit from Paige (yay!) Then, we welcomed Elana to the family on the 17th. We were very lucky that Rusty was able to take 3 weeks off of work. It was great having him home, enjoying family meals and putting the kids to bed together each night. Not to mention the sigh of relief and the looks we gave each other after the big girls got in bed. Is this really our life?! It's insane and awesome all rolled into one.

In November, Rusty went back to work. I quickly fell into a routine and it was almost like we've always had 3 kids. Almost. I quit being terrified of being left alone with all of them. Sometimes it seems like someone is crying in this house constantly. But it's the moments where Audrey and Madison are running and laughing hysterically together in the evenings, the random hugs and kisses, the way A&M adore Elana, the way my dog tolerates the kids antics and watching the way my husband fathers and loves our children makes my heart so full!

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year at mom's. I feel so blessed that she is not only here to celebrate with but also, that she cooked us a delicious Thanksgiving meal! We have so much to be thankful for this year (and every year).

 

My little Audrey. This kid is really talking now! She is saying new words all the time and now multiple words together. "Daddy, where hoppo?" "Milk please," "Daddy work, gone!" "Towel, hands" We are always saying to each other, did she just say {insert phrase here}. She also loves showing off what she is learning. When we read books, she will point to and name everything she can on the page: daddy, baby, meeew (cat), shoes, etc.

 

She has a definite mischievous side as well. She is quick to imitate Madison's naughty behavior (throwing food, cups, you name it) and then when you discipline her she cuts her eyes away in defiance or continues the said naughty behavior. Sigh. Nap time is a constant struggle. She will play quietly in her crib for an hour or more until she decides nap time is over. When I go in to settle her down I find teddy, dolly, blankie and usually her clothes, thrown out of the crib. I redress her, cover her back up and get out of there hoping I'll get lucky and she realizes how tired she is!  

 

Madison: oh, our little stinker!!!! She is into EVERYTHING! Opening drawers, cabinets, baskets and emptying their contents everywhere. Tearing pages out of books, climbing on the couch, climbing up the slide, on the chairs outside and standing on the picnic table. And often, a temper tanturm upon correction! After we further toddler proofed our house and stood our ground on boundaries, things calmed down. I think it had a lot to do with the disruption of our new addition too!

 

Not to forget her joyful side :) She absolutely loves her dog and her sisters! She runs around the house squealing and gets the dog running all over going crazy! We are lucky Layla has such a good temperament! Madison is also expanding her vocabulary. She's been "talking" for awhile now but we're just now making out the words! The first time I realized she was talking, she pointed to a pair of shoes in one of her favorite books, Muddypaws, and said, SHOE!

 



 

Elana is a sweet little baby! She doesn't cry much unless she is hungry or tired and then watch out, she's pissed!! Unlike our other babies, she doesn't like pacifiers. She must have a sensitive gag reflex as she has projectile vomited on several occasions...I'm throwing in the towel on this one. She's just starting to find her hands and suck her fingers and thumb so that should help :)

 

So far she is a resilient little thing as she gets poked in the eye "baby, eye" (yes Audrey, that's the baby's eye, please don't touch!!!!) or bashed in the head with a toy (Madison! Watch out!) She is starting to smile real smiles every day and it's so fun! I wonder daily what she will be like when she is the girls' age. If she's anything like her big sisters, she'll be sweet trouble too!

 

She is definitely a mama's girl and loves to snuggle. She is still sleeping in the bed with us at night because she eats so frequently (every 2-3 hours). I'm enjoying it because I know soon she'll have to start sleeping in her own bed! Right now we are working on her taking a bottle....only 5 1/2 more weeks before I'm back to work!!



As for next month, December is here! Oh my. Let the Christmas holiday begin...