Do you ever need a good laugh? Me too.
We’re starting party mode here at the Underwoods. To kick it off- here is a little video we Ryan put together of the kids for Uncle Matt’s birthday today. (Matt’s sweetheart had friends & family send in a greeting this way for his big 24!) Isn’t she a sweetheart? Matt’s a sweetheart too. They’re a good combo.
Hope you laughed. Or smiled. Oh..Lucia in those glasses= priceless.
Happy early Friday, friends.
Thanks for your comments after my last post. I love hearing new ideas, tips on anything, encouragement, just knowing someone is out there. Thanks for being out there!
Truth is.. It was an emotionally & physically exhausting weekend here. We have a circle of friends going through something heart breaking right now. It has layers of pain/confusion. We can say “I’m here for you.” We can pray the pain isn’t so deep. But, it still hurts. A lot.
On the opposite end of that- we celebrated a special birthday yesterday. My boy is:
He’s FOUR! This next weekend we’re getting ready for a party with friends from Jameson’s preschool & grandpa and nana coming all the way from Tennessee! But last night we celebrated just the five of us with: take out chinese, a treat, and movie night in dad & mom’s bed. It was a success.
This week we’re also celebrating the birthdays of a few of the other most important guys in my life. Jameson, my brother-in-law (Matt), Ryan, and my Dad. All in a week. So, if I’m not around.. its because I’ve got a few things cookin.
Colette is one month old. Look at this face. Call me biased (which of course I am), but goodness! She is a doll.
Its been an exhausting (hardly can get out of bed exhausting) week. I’ve done a little reading about colic because Colette has been having nightly spells crying. Usually it starts between 9-10 p.m. and is unconsolable. For hours. Nursing distracts her briefly, but thats quickly over and we’re back where we started. Whether or not its colic, it probably is just a spell. A spell I’m eager to leave. ‘Till then I’m trying to hold things together. I’m also eating everything in sight. Does anyone have some great food or snack ideas for getting the extra calories while nursing?
I lost track of how many almond scones I had this morning..
Recently we’ve had quite a few robins hanging out on our back deck. They don’t seem threatened by us (surprisingly).
While we were playing outside yesterday one of the robins flew into our large kitchen window. It fell with a thump to our deck below. Dead.
Interesting to see how my two older kids responded to the event:
Jameson wanted to make sure it was dead. Once we confirmed it was, he wanted me to “take care of it”. Minutes later he was back on his bike, never to give a second thought to the robin.
Lucia was distraught. She wanted to kiss the robin. She wanted to be with the robin. Her eyes were so expressive as she kept asking “what happened to the robin?” Hours later she was still asking. And at bedtime my two-year-old cried about the dead robin.
I was hoping today would be a new day and maybe (just maybe) the robin would be forgotten. Half an hour after breakfast she asked “where did the robin go, mom?”
We’re stuck.
If you were here for coffee with me this morning, Lucia would ask you “do you know what ?” every couple minutes. And if you didn’t respond, she’d just keeping asking. So, you’d respond.
Did I tell you our house is for sale? You may remember we had it listed last year. After showing it for a few months (with no offers) we stayed put for the winter. Just because we like having enough to do, we listed with a realtor a couple weeks before Colette was born! So- we’re a month in, we’ve had a dozen showings, and we’re waiting. Another showing this morning, so I have the challenge of getting me and three kiddos out the door while trying to keep the house clean. Thats a challenge.
When we get home (after the showing) my college roomie is here for the weekend! Its been a year since our last visit. It was a week later that I took a pregnancy test, and another, and another… and called Holly. She is that best friend I can share anything with. She can handle it. And she’s a little crazy too. I like crazy. So does my son:
Happy Friday, friends!
We sent out Colette’s birth announcement this week. While I was on the computer going through hospital pictures – I found this one. I don’t remember it being taken, but apparently Lucia & I both got the same memo.. extra cheesy grins.
The first picture with me and my girls!
So many times throughout my pregnancy people told me I was having a boy. Usually the follow-up question was if we wanted a boy or girl.
Colette was a beautiful surprise (and I would totally recommend not finding out the sex when you’re pregnant). We now have two girls + one big brother and this feels perfect. I am so excited for Lucia & Colette to share as sisters. I’m excited to fix them a girls room to grow in. I’m excited to paint their toe-nails and dress them up.
Yes, I’m perfectly excited.
Linking up today with:
Both our “big kids” were up in the six o’clock hour again today. Its hard to wake up with the sun when I’m up throughout the night. Its not a fun combo. I don’t look fun.
Little Colette is my best nurser of our three! She nurses every 2-3 hours throughout the day. Once seven or eight p.m. rolls around nursing is all she thinks about. And…she is a determined one. If she isn’t appeased she’ll scream and attempt nursing on my shirt, on daddy’s arm, wherever. She makes herself clear. At her two week check-up (friday) our pediatrician said her cries would suggest she’ll be a verbal little girl. (I know about verbal little girls!) I picture Lucia & Colette playing as sisters. That makes me smile.
A few of my favorite pictures from Mother’s Day:
My thoughts have been cluttered this past week. This huge anticipated change of becoming a family of 5 has happened. Yet, we are still ourselves. In the midst of this exciting time, we still bring the same weaknesses (only they’re magnified). We’re stretched to a new limit and things like having patience & living selflessly don’t rise to the surface naturally. Do they?
I’ve been following a blog recently that is refreshing! I don’t follow many blogs (for a lack of time), but often (in the blog world) things just seem too cute. The kids are coordinated and smiling for pictures, the house is in perfect order, the mama is making beautiful crafts/delicious meals, and the Mr… the Mr is surprising her with getaway weekends. You get the picture. Too cute…
I so appreciate the mama’s who are willing to talk in a real way about the different seasons of parenting and how this is the best and the hardest. On top of that, there is marriage and the fight to not just “survive” this time, but to be stronger and even better for this time. I’m right in the middle of the challenge. Wanting to succeed, and more aware then ever that this isn’t about me. I’ll never find the perfect balance because I don’t know what I’m doing.
I shouldn’t be asking God to bless what I’m doing- I should ask Him what I’m doing.
Then I could would succeed.
