Not Too Bad

Kate and Blake went to the dentist this morning, and I was definitely more worried than I should have been! They rose to the occasion! It was like they enjoyed having a reason to act "big." They were in charge of holding "mr. Thirsty," the suction, and took their job seriously. I snapped a few pictures to show Brandon, but couldn't resist adding them here for a little scrapbooking.

And here is a sweet video of Morgan "talking" these days. Too bad all she says is "DaDa." :) I think it is sweet she says it, it is a little treat for him since he feels like he misses other things.

Adventures

We went for a long family walk this weekend and let the kids feed the fish at a pond. Blake and Morgan rode in the double stroller and Kate rode in a cool hiking backpack on Brandon. Morgan fell asleep and the "big kids" had a blast running around the trail and throwing apple jacks and bread to the fish. This crazy weather has actually made for some fun time outside lately.
On rainy days, we have had fun painting on the kids' easel they got for Christmas. They have surprised me and kept it pretty neat, no messes yet.
Just thought I would add a few pictures and an update, later I will try to figure out how to post a cute video of Morgan "talking."

Busy Days

I have been MIA for a few reasons. I was gone from my "job" of sewing for a little bit while I finished this t-shirt quilt for Brandon. He has only been asking for it for 4 years or so. Sadly, he had already chosen the shirts and had them set aside in a box, just waiting for me... well I told him on our 7th anniversary that his present was for me to stop all other work until I finished the quilt. I followed through! I love how it turned out too! We chose 20 shirts that meant something to us, that we just liked the look of, or that we had duplicates of, and then I planned out just how big I wanted the quilt. I set up my sewing machine on the coffee table for a few nights, and Brandon and I caught up on some shows while I finished the quilt. It will be fun to have our memories displayed on a blanket, and fun to tell the kids about. They have already hogged the blanket several times because I used a super soft fleece for the backing.




We have been MIA from the actual world since the weekend because Blake has had a crazy fever virus since Saturday night. He woke up a few times crying and begging for juice, so I knew he wasn't feeling great. Sunday morning he was burning up and he has been the same way since then. Yesterday he broke out in a rash all over his body, so I freaked out! I called Brandon panicking, but that is the problem with being married to a resident who hears from panicky moms ALL DAY LONG! He said, "just keep giving him Motrin and we will just watch him." I did, and this morning his fever is gone. It is just scary to sit and watch your child when they are that pitiful. He has basically watched a million movies, Toy Story 3 75 times, and slept all day on the couch. Luckily, he has still slept at night too, so I am hoping we are on the upswing, and no one else has been sick!

In more exciting, happy news... We have a new niece! We were in Greenville for the weekend, and I woke up early to a text from Kelly saying she thought she was having contractions and I immediately started getting things ready to go home. Her husband, Heath, doesn't handle anything invasive very well, so I have "assisted" in her other 2 deliveries, so I knew we needed to make it to Birmingham in time for me to be there (or Kelly was going to be all alone with Heath passed out in the chair next to her). I told her to go to the hospital and make sure it was time before we headed North. We were in the car and headed back home in no time. I made it in time for the delivery, and Brandon was able to take the older two back for naps. Morgan got to hang out with family in the waiting room since she still refuses any bottles- we don't get very far apart. :)
This is Morgan loving on sweet baby Collins (which is my grandmother's maiden name). Collins looks like she is crying, but I am pretty sure it was a yawn. Morgan seems so big to me when she is next to her tiny new cousin, but she is still little too!



Kate was ECSTATIC! She was dying to see KK and her new baby. She was a little sad not to be at the hospital, but I wasn't sure how long it would take, etc. So, the next day we took her to see Collins, and she wanted to hold her the whole time. She got really calm and quiet when she held her, it was funny to see her take her job so seriously! She said, "I need her paci." But I wouldn't give it to her since the baby was sound asleep, and she said she needed it "just in case." She is a mess!

Blake loves babies too! He is still not the most careful, so we let him hold her (with assistance) for just a minute. He thought she was pretty cute. And don't worry, this picture was several days before the mystery fever hit!

My First iPhone Dump

Kate has become quite the helper! She loves doing anything to help me with Morgan, and has even helped with a few things around the house. When she helps, it takes a GOOD bit longer, but I am trying to appreciate her willingness! Yesterday, she helped me vacuum and wash dishes.

My sweet Morgan isthe dress up doll around here! Kate loves putting any costume on her. I have to watch Blake, he tries to put his entire blanket over her head.

Blake got a REAL football uniform for Christmas this year, but I can't figure out how to turn it the other way. I got a new iphone for Christmas, and I am LOVING it! I am just not 100% comfortable with all the tricks it does. I talk to Siri on a daily basis, whether it is to ask her when a certain tv show starts back, or to get directions while I drive without using my hands.

We rang in the new year in Greenville this year, and the kids loved doing fireworks in their pajamas!

This Thanksgiving

I have to say that this Thanksgiving, I was MOST thankful for family. Especially my sweet Nanny! She joined us at my parents' house this year, and it was so sweet to have her there. She isn't quite the same Nanny as I grew up with, since she had a stroke/brain injury the beginning of 2011, but she still has moments where she surprises us all with her comments and random memories. She remembered Brandon's name without prompting, but then she told me that Morgan has "pretty blue ears." A year ago today, her husband, Dink, went to his forever home with Jesus, and I miss him just as much as I did this time last year. Losing him was hard, but it also makes us thankful for the family we do have here! I had to post a picture of my girls with Nanny!

Kate has loved her "big girl bike" and rode all around her GiGi and PopPop's driveway. All of the sudden, I look at her and realize just how big she is getting!

Not the greatest picture of the kids, but I wanted a family picture with Nanny.

A little better, with my parents.

This year, Brandon had to work on Thanksgiving morning, and the morning after, so it limited our traveling. So, we had his parents drive here to celebrate with us! The kids loved having their 4 grandparents all in the same place. Nothing like a little extra attention!

Now that I have posted about Thanksgiving, Christmas is coming around the corner! I guess I will get to that after the New Year!

My Helper

Bathtime has gotten easier at our house now! I bathe Kate and Blake first, then Blake gets out... He is just a little too active, messy, dangerous, etc. to keep in there with Morgan! And then, I just pass Morgan to Kate. She helps me lay her down to wash her not much hair, then sit her up to rinse her off.

Kate's new name for Morgan is Mor-guinea-pig. Didn't love that at first, but it is kind of catching on for the kids at least. So now we have Katebug, Bubby, and Morguinea Pig... awesome! A funny story about Blake- he calls himself Bubby all the time and will correct you if you don't. He was in the church nursery the other day and came home with a family tree craft with the names "Mom, Dad, Kate, Bobby and Morgan." I laughed outloud because the sweet lady thought his name was really Bobby. Either that, or he corrected her when she said Blake. What a mess!

I am posting this picture mainly for myself... Morgan seems so tiny, and is very light, but she has some thighs! Her leg chub makes me laugh because you just don't expect to see this when you see her with her clothes on. We go to her 4 month appointment next week, so I will keep you posted on her growth progress.

Sharing Our Saturday

Morgan is being sweet, sitting up in her Bumbo watching her brother pitch a fit for no reason. She really looks at me sometimes like, "Could you tell him to be quiet?" or, "Can you tell them to get out of my face?"
She was sleeping great for a while, but has been waking up in the middle of the night again. Maybe a growth spurt? I think I remember a weird sleep time around 4 months with the others.











We went to the grocery store this morning, and he has been screaming since we got back because he wants to go somewhere else. I think he is tired of me, Kate, and Morgan. He turned 3 on Halloween, but he isn't acting any bigger. People have told me that boys are worse at 3 than at 2, and I might believe them. He has been pitching some wild fits lately. We are pushing through it, spanking regularly, and maybe, just maybe we will kick this habit! Don't get me wrong, he is a wild man, but he sure is sweet too! He has gotten a lot more interested in Morgan lately, he loves to giver her the pacifier if she is crying and when he is sad, he asks to hug her.







Kate has been laying on the couch watching Mary Poppins, and she told me it was "so long it passed her right out." She then told me that Blake was driving her nuts. Me too, Kate! I wish I had more exciting things to share on Saturday, but this is it, folks! Daddy is working, so we are relaxing and trying to clean up around here.