Falling Asleep In My Arms

August 2, 2011 - Seven Months Old

About once a week, Will has a hard time falling asleep on his own at night. Tonight was such a night. I am thankful for this special time I have with him on these nights when he needs extra cuddles, extra rocks, extra kisses, and when I get to watch him fall asleep in my arms. I have learned that I have to really wait until he has "given up" and has just melted into sleep in my arms. So peaceful and sweet. I love it.

I am, however, thankful that this hiccup in his normal falling asleep routine only happens about once each week. That way, I give the extra time and affection while knowing that (hopefully) he'll fall asleep on his own the next night.

Brief pause in flowery writing for some statistics/data I want to remember about this stage: Right now, at 7 months, I am waking him most mornings at 7 a.m., and he eats again around 10, 1:30, 4:30, 7, and 10. He takes 1 1/2 hour naps in between 3 feedings and then takes a 45 minute nap from 6-6:45 p.m. while the rest of us eat dinner. He goes down for the night between 8:20-8:30 p.m. Seriously, if I try to put the boy down before 8:20, he knows, and he fights it for sure. He doesn't love it when Donny puts him down at night. Not sure why. Any other time of the day, and he doesn't care who puts him down. The nighttime, however, he wants Mommy for those finals kisses and cuddles (and I'm not complaining). I wake him up around 10 for his dream feed. Then right back to sleep. It's funny - I feel like we are still on a newborn schedule eating every three hours...but it is working for us right now.

He started eating avocado once/day soon after he turned 7 months on the 2nd of August. Next up is homemade rice cereal. I have made a lot of Hunter and Millie's veggies and fruits in the past, but I have never done the cereal myself. We'll see how that goes.

Now...back to the dreamy stuff.

Will really has my heart. I melt with each smile, giggle and sigh as he drifts off to sleep.

7 months old. I'm already mourning the end of his baby year. I will hold on to it for as long as I can and enjoy these moments.

Sleep tight, sweet Will.

Sucking his big toe - a very common thing these days

On a trip to the beach a few weeks ago.
My try at making a pic look cool and artsy.

How can I not melt looking at that smile?

Ah, this boy. Pardon me while I melt.

Millie's Spa Day

Warning: Lots of PINK in this post. Lots.

In my last post, I wrote about how I am made for resort life. Well, I am also made for spa days. I joke that "spa" is my love language. Apparently the apple does not fall far from the tree.

Millie was invited to a princess birthday party for a friend from our church here in Freeport. Since we are new in town, I was honored that Millie was one of the six girls invited. Anyway, the party was at a place called "Miss Katey's." I thought that was probably the name of someone in the church who was hosting the party. I was incorrect. Miss Katey's is a little girls' boutique, charm school, and place for birthday parties. BUT not just any birthday parties....SPA birthday parties.

We arrived right on time, and Millie was offered a robe along with Birthday Girl, Krista. They were escorted into a pink and green spa room where they spent TWO HOURS getting manicures, pedicures, mini-facials (complete with cucumbers on their eyes...which Millie kept calling pickles), hand and food massages, and make-up applications. Wow...I was a little jealous.

My Millie...a girl after my own heart...did not miss a beat. She was the first one to jump up when the ladies asked the girls if they were ready to start. At one point Millie exclaimed: "It's a princessey kind of day!"

I thought surely these 4-6 year olds would tire after a while. Well, TWO HOURS later, they finished their spa treatments and moved into the party room for a craft and cupcakes. Of course, there had to be a wardrobe change from the robes into pink tutus and white tanks that said "Miss Katey's" in sequins. It was hilarious...and so very cute.

What a fun day for my little girl to feel like a princess, celebrate Krista's birthday, and get to have fun with our new friends here in Freeport.

Millie and I...We are made for spa days.

Me and my sweet girl

First up...Millie's manicure. The lady who did it said she really enjoyed talking to Millie.
Wonder what they talked about.

Millie and Christine...one of her new friends.

Pedicure


Facial...she kept telling Hunter that she didn't fall asleep but she "closed her eyes and relaxed."
Rough life.

Complete with a cucumber mask.
Millie kept saying she didn't want pickles on her eyes, but cucumbers were ok.

Wardrobe change...out of robes and into tanks and tutus...working on a craft.

Today was a Great Day

Today was a great day. I needed a great day. I have had some good days here and some bad days here, but today was a great day. Two weeks ago, I was lying in the floor of my closet in the fetal position bawling and crying out: “I hate this place. I want to go home!” I have had some hard days here in the Bahamas. No, it is not all frolicking on the beach and enjoying the peace and quiet of island life…but today was…and it was great.

We spent most of the morning and into the early afternoon at Taino Beach Resort. It was wonderful. We went there for breakfast two weeks ago, but a storm rolled in while we were eating, and we were unable to enjoy the resort. If you patronize the restaurant, you can use the resort. We went back today to “cash in” on our breakfast deposit we made two weeks ago.

Our first stop (with rain coming in slowly…boo) was the pool. Found a shady spot for Will to nap, found a covered area for me to lounge and read, and Donny went exploring the pool area with the big kids. It was great. I got to relax in the shade in the middle of this beautiful resort, and it was wonderful. I am made for resorts.

The cloud cover started to clear after about an hour, so we headed to the beach. Again, wonderful. We found a shaded umbrella/hut/cabana-like area where we could park our stuff. By the time we got out to the beach, Will was ready for nap #2, so I laid out a towel, and off he went into “La La Land.” I wasn’t too far behind. The boys headed out to snorkel, Millie played happily on the beach, and after playing with Millie a little, I set up shop in a lounge chair with my book.

The beach was pretty. The water was beautiful. It was a postcard moment.

Then my postcard changed…to one of those sketchy ones you seen in a run-down beach trinket shop, because the gal in the cabana next to ours decided to tan topless. Really? The boys stayed out in the water the whole time, so there was no harm done, but I really could have done without topless Tammy. I understand that it’s culturally acceptable in some places, and that’s fine, but it does not seem to be the norm here. It’s funny. I felt like a mother hen making sure that I was ready to hop up to ask her to cover up if Donny and Hunter headed back. Unfortunately, I felt a little stressed about it, so I wasn’t as relaxed as I would like at that point. Oh well. It was still a great day.

We headed from the beach to the supermarket to get fun beverages for the family. In the States my post-beach routine is to get a Slurpee from 7-11. Since that is not possible here, we went to the market, I took the kids in, and they got to choose their very own 20oz. bottle (a very special treat in our family). Millie chose Grape Fanta, and Hunter chose Strawberry Fanta. I, of course, got a Diet Coke and got Donny a Ginger Ale. It was fun to let the kids pick whatever they wanted. An added treat on this very great day.

Once home, we declared no naps and let the kids watch a movie. They chose a “Tom and Jerry” video (they LOVE Tom and Jerry), we put Will down, and I headed to the grocery. Not my favorite part of the day but oh so much better when I’ve been relaxing resort-style all morning.

We had dinner together. The kids are in bed, and here I am blogging. Thankful for days like today. I have had some hard days and some good days. Today was a great day.

Really sweet...but they never hold hands like this.

Hunter found a tiny frog at the pool.

Beach Buddies

Donny and Hunter heading out to snorkel

Trying to make it into more pics.
Hunter was the only one willing to pose with me today. Sweet him.

Under our "umbrella" - Will napping on the left, Donny and the kids out in the ocean, and my lounge chair awaiting me...aaaaahhhhh.

The view from my chair. Aaaaaahhhhhh. What a great day.

William Oliver - 6 Months Old

July 2, 2011 - 6 months old

Six months. Still so in love. Even now just thinking about what to type about Will I am getting teary-eyed. Each of my children is so very special to me. My journey with Will has left me the most exposed. It took this third child to break me of my thoughts that I have it all together. Cause I don’t…and I thought I did with Hunter and Millie. If you are reading this and knew me when Hunter and Millie were babies, I’m sorry if I seemed like I knew everything and had it all together. I don’t.

Will is such a sweetheart at six months. I am taking him next week to have him weighed, but I think he is doing well in terms of nursing and growing. I haven’t been truly confident of his nursing/weight gain one single day of these six months, but our pediatrician has always said he is right where he should be. I haven’t been supplementing with anything in this last month, so his weight check next week should tell me if all is well…which I really, really hope (and think) it is.

Just over a week ago Will found his toes. It’s one of my favorite baby discoveries. I think it’s so funny when they get amused with themselves, and right now his toes amuse him. He can reach and grab most any toy we dangle in front of him. He's not a big fan of tummy time. He doesn’t complain. He just assumes the sleep position. That’s how Hunter and Millie were too, so he’ll get around to hanging out on his belly eventually.

Will is still nursing during the day about every 3 hours. That is VERY different from my experience with Hunter and Millie. By 6 months, they were eating every four hours and eating 5 times per day. Will eats every three hours and gets about 6 (sometimes 7 feedings) per day. He doesn’t always wake up to eat, so he could probably go longer between feedings, but I have been questioning my milk supply, so I have been feeding him more frequently during the day to make sure he is getting enough. He has had a hard time falling asleep at night since we moved to the Bahamas, and I have figured out that nursing him to sleep almost always helps. Yes, you read it, I have been (on occasion) nursing him to sleep (gasp)…even if it’s not time to eat (double gasp). And if he wakes up in the middle of the night (which thankfully has decreased in frequency since we got here), I get up to nurse him. There’s not much he’s crying out these days. He’s my third. We’ve had a rough go of it, and I would rather help soothe him with cuddles and nursing rather than letting him cry it out. Will I pay for it down the road? I really don’t think so, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

I really could sit and stare at him all day. His eyes are so big and beautiful. His smiles and noises are thrilling. I still feel like I could burst.

Sweet Will, I love you more than I can say. Six months ago right now I was gathering things to head to the hospital not really believing that it was time for you to come. God, in his sovereignty and grace, knew that it was time. He knew that I needed to be broken and have my heart exposed in ways that could only come with you surprising us with an early arrival. I hold you tighter and snuggle with you longer because of our surprising journey. I was going to call it “not normal,” but it has been God’s normal for us. You and your timing was God’s very best for us. As we enter an uncertain time for our family and Daddy seeking a pastoral call, I pray I will draw on what I have learned from God’s timing and plan with you to know that God’s timing and plan for us with this new stage of life will be perfect. I am so thankful I have you to hold everyday as a reminder of his good plans. I love you, dear Will. My heart overflows and words cannot express. I have been surprised by how much love I could feel for you. Happy six months. They have been six of the hardest and sweetest months I have known, and I treasure every moment of your sweet life.

January 2, 2011 - 5 weeks, 1 day early...

...perfect in God's timing.

April 2, 2011 - 3 months old

July 2, 2011 - Hunter - 6 1/2, Will - 6 months, Millie - 4

What a blessing you are to your Mommy. I love you so much.

Bahamian Soccer Camp

(Written on Thursday, June 30, 2011)

Hunter began soccer camp on Monday. It is a Bahamian camp led by a traveling British group. We didn’t hear about it until last Saturday, talked with Hunter about it on Sunday, and sent him on Monday. It lasts from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. He’s never done any one activity like that for such a long stretch of time, so we were curious as to how he would like it and handle it. He’s done great! He has made some friends (which is great, because he is the only boy his age at church), so I am looking forward to getting a few phone numbers from those families to try to get the boys together once camp is over. I think he has enjoyed the independence. Even today, on day 4, I still wanted to hug him a little longer before he headed across the field to start the day with his team. I could tell that he was trying to humor me but was also ready for me to go (sniff, sniff).

One of the great benefits of soccer camp has been the quality time I have had with Millie (and Will) this week. While Will has napped, Millie and I have had a great time doing her nails, letting her paint with a new art set, making lunch for Daddy, going to the beach…and just enjoying the car rides to and from camp. Donny had the morning off today, so we took her and Will out for lunch at KFC and then to explore the city a little. It was a fun time enjoying our little girl in ways that you just can’t when siblings are competing for attention.

(continued writing this morning, Saturday, July 2, 2011)

I have been having a hard time finding a groove here in Freeport. The days are hot, and there is not much indoor fun to be had here. Since we did not bring a lot of toys with us from home, the kids get bored easily. My creativity is certainly being tested. Soccer camp came at a great time. It forced me into a daily routine, and it forced me to get into town on a daily basis where I could learn the city and the grocery stores a little better. I even got my gas tank filled (which is different…they have gas attendants that do it for you). I also found a few unexpected sales at the stores which, of course, thrilled my deal seeking heart.

It has been a good week. VBS at church awaits us next week. I will be thankful for another week of a routine. I also look forward to quiet mornings with Will.

I am really proud of Hunter. This was a big week which could have been really hard for him. He had a great attitude all week. He told us all about learning how to dribble and kick the ball better. He enjoyed lunches of pizza, hot dogs, and chicken and rice (random). He got to drink lots of punch and other sugary drinks we normally don't let him drink in such large quantities (very proud he got to have his own bottles of them). He was sure to tell me when he chose to play soccer with the big kids rather than take a break to go swim. He confidently ran across the field on that first morning to join the group of 6-18 year olds. My little boy still needs me...but not as much as he used to...and he'll need me even less as he grows. I know he'll always need me...but he is growing up. I love watching it, and it makes me sad at the same time. Lord, grow my boy into a man who loves you and others. Help him be strong and caring, know right and do it, and rely on you for everything. Amen.

Ready for his first day.

Day 2 - Of course, I had to get a pic in the blue uniform

While Hunter was gone, Millie enjoyed painting...

and getting her nails done...

and going on a date to KFC with Mommy, Daddy and Will.

Hunter with his new friend, Carson.

Hunter and Coach Mary...a great coach for him!

It's Not Totally Foreign but It's Far From Home

I've been eating a lot tonight. It's not been healthy. I knew I had a problem when I was eating the remains of tonight's Mac and Cheese from the pot with the black serving spoon. I am emotional. Not crying emotional. I am past that. It's the "I feel so weird I have no clue what to do next" emotional. I feel a little numb...which seems kinda unemotional. Donny is actually at Wendy's right now getting us dessert. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I had no need for dessert...and I'll probably need it eventually...cause we aren't going anywhere.

We landed in the Bahamas over a week ago on Friday, June 10. We were welcomed wonderfully by a whole host of people from the church where Donny is serving as interim pastor. Truly, the people could not be more warm, hospitable, or friendly. We have been invited to dinner and for playdates at the pool. Our home is wonderful...one of the nicest we have ever lived in...but it's not home. When I walk out the doors it feels so weird. A neighborhood in the middle of the bush. I can buy anything I want to here. It's more expensive, but it's fine. I mean, Donny's on his way home from Wendy's. Life is not hard. But life is also not easy.

I have been so tired. I wish I could understand why. I don't have anything to do. Of course I have my three darling children. I have lots to do with them, but when there is calm or some peace in the house, all I want to do is climb back into bed.

Welcome to culture stress. I think I skipped culture shock. There's not too much that is shocking. The landscape is a little shocking. Unless you are right on the water, Freeport feels like being in the middle of nowhere...in the bush. Small town. Not much around. You can get to the grocery and get what you want, but I have lived the last four years in Orlando (the last year of which I lived really near downtown). Life was bustling. Life was busy. I like busy and bustling. Here we are with not much of our stuff. It was nice the first few days. Now I am trying to figure out what to do with myself and my kids. I have packed up my family for the summer before, but this time feels so different. Not sure why. Trying to find some answers.

Right now I want to take these things to the Lord, but I feel pretty distant. This semester has deepened my trust in him and his power and sovereignty, but I feel like we haven't really connected in so long that I have no idea how to be real or personal with God right now. Whew, how's that for honest? I am stuck. I am stuck on an island in intense heat. With few friends. Only a few places to go. A baby, a four year old, and a six year old that are just hard to take places most of the time. Being in God's will is where I want to be, and I am confident that we are following him as a family...I just am at a loss right now for how to walk with him personally. It's like reuniting with a dear friend but you awkwardly can't figure out what to say...awkward...that's how I feel.

Our stuff is somewhere in a pod in Orlando. We packed it all up. We are officially homeless. And Donny has applications in for full-time positions mostly in the northeast. I'm from Tennessee. The northeast is a foreign land to me. Who knows where we will end up, but any sense of "home" feels very, very far away.

So here I am. The Lord has a lot to teach me this summer. I will go to him and hope he will answer and that I will find him personally as I seek him. I know I belong to him and to heaven, and I will be "at home" someday. For now, however, I struggle with feeling homeless and a foreigner. And I will seek the Lord in the struggle.

For anyone wondering...the Bahamas is not always paradise. At least not right now for me. And so I will work out my faith as I look to a future paradise while living in this unfamiliar paradise.

And I will try not to eat so much.

Done

Donny had his final exam today. His final exam in his seminary career. Final. The End. Nada. It's over. I really can't believe I am typing these words. Graduation is on Friday, and I am sure that will bring with it another blog post, but I needed to write some things now. It's late on Wednesday night. I just put Will down after his dream feed. We have had a hard week of nursing issues again...not gaining enough weight...milk supply low...it's been hard. But that's another blog post (or hopefully just a small blip in this process).

It's done. We will go to RTS tomorrow night for the graduation banquet, and that will be the last time Donny will be on that campus as a student. After Friday night he will be an alumnus. Aaaaaagh!!! I really can't believe it's here.

It is really late, and I am too tired to write very much. I just need the small bloggy world that reads this (and me when I look back on this) to know how very proud I am of my husband. He has worked harder than I have ever seen him work in his life. Throughout seminary, Donny has been an excellent student, husband, father, man, intern, and more. I told him on Saturday while we were on a little lunch date that I as long as I have loved him, I have always loved him...but I LOVE the man he has become over these 3 years...the man God has made him to be. I am excited to step into the next chapter of life and ministry with him. He has proven himself so trustworthy. I will follow him wherever the Lord leads next (which, at this point, could be anywhere from New Hampshire to Miami or somewhere in between...but first with a stop in Freeport, Bahamas).

I am praying that I will soak in every moment of graduation. It's gonna be a rite of passage for me as well. It's been hard being the wife of a seminary student...but I wouldn't trade it. We were told by Mike Milton that seminary is a "tithe of our lives." It would be a time of study and preparation for a lifetime of ministry. This giving of ourselves to this work of preparation for God's call in ministry has been so rich. Thank you, Lord. Praise God from whom all blessings flow...

August 18, 2008 - Donny's first day of classes at RTS

Donny with Hunter (3 yrs, 11 months) and Millie (16 months) before his first day of classes

May 11, 2011 - Donny on his way to his last day of class at RTS

Easter 2011 - And now we are a family of five.
A lot changes in three years, and we could not be more thankful.

The Things They Say...

Just finished disciplining my sweet Millie. As she was preparing to receive the consequences for her disobedience, she declared:

I'm allergic to this part.

Oh, the things they say.

Fighting...

Fighting. That word best describes what I feel the last four months of my life have been about. Fighting. I hate that I feel that way. I would much rather the words "soaring" or "resting" or "enjoying" be the main descriptive of 2011. Nope. Fighting.

What have I been fighting? Really, it's not that I have been fighting anything. It's more that I have been fighting for something...and that something is my boy. My Will. From the moment I started feeling weird on the morning of January 2, knowing that something had definitely changed in my body and in my pregnancy, I have been fighting. I have been fighting for my son and for our bond.

While I was in labor, I was already fighting the grief over being done with my pregnancy. I actually enjoyed this pregnancy, and that's a first for me. I was (and still am in some ways) sad that it was cut short by pre-term labor. I know it's not my fault, nor is it Will's fault. It just happened. But it took something from me that I wanted to enjoy a little longer. And some of that disappointment affected my initial bond with Will. I wrestled with disappointment that he came too early and that I didn't get to finish out this pregnancy that I felt had been so different and such fun. And, in the midst of that disappointment, I began fighting.

Soon after Will's birth after I got to nuzzle with him for a few minutes, the nurses whisked him away to the NICU...and I was left there alone. Donny with Will in the NICU. Me in a recovery room calling one or two people...but alone. No baby to snuggle or nurse. And I spent most of that first night alone. Donny stayed with Will (and went home to get us some things since we weren't prepared), and I sat there with no baby by my side. He was down a floor and a world away. And the fight went on.

As our time at the hospital and with Will in the NICU progressed, I still found myself disconnected from him. I didn't want to change diapers when offered. I mean, I totally freaked when the nurse asked me for the first time if I wanted to change his diaper. Honestly, I think it was on the night when my own virus (similar to what Will had in the NICU) was at its worst, but I froze. My sister actually did that first diaper change. I just couldn't do it.

The separation in the NICU left me fighting for our bond. So many others got to care for him before I really did. Hooked up to the machines, I was left feeling like I had to ask permission anytime I wanted to hold him...much less nurse him. Through this time, I did learn in a new way how my children are the Lord's and are not my own...but the separation I felt from Will was unbearable at times.

Then the day finally came on January 18, 2 1/2 weeks after his birth, when he got to come home. What I had waited for was finally happening. All should be well. I have him home. Let the bonding begin...

And then another fight. Breastfeeding was not taking off like it should. In fact, by one month old, it was killing me. I kept saying that it was just my body getting used to breastfeeding again...but the pain was terrible. But I bit my lip (literally) and pressed on...cause gosh darn it, I was not going to have my breastfeeding taken from me! Not another separation! In my stubbornness to address this problem, however, I began to resent Will (yes, resent my 4 week old) for the pain I was experiencing. Oh, the fight was so hard. I wanted to love and nurture and care for him...but something was going so wrong with the nursing and so much pain was being inflicted...I had to fight not to resent him. More separation.

So I sought help. At the end of February as he neared 2 months old, I went to a lactation consultant. My latch was good. So she took a look at him...and when the words "Oral Motor," "bottles," and "pumping" came out of her mouth as her diagnosis and course of action, I thought I could have shriveled up on the floor in a puddle of disappointment and sadness and despair. To me, Will's "oral motor" problems threatened death to our breastfeeding. And I just couldn't bear it. And bottles were just another degree of separation. So I fought.

The pumping and bottle feeding was awful at first. I felt like a machine rather than Will's mother. It was all so mechanical and didn't feel nurturing at all. Of course, I had to keep telling myself that I was still doing what's best for my son. I had lots of people supporting me, and I would not have continued on this path without them by my side...but those were two really awful months. Humiliating at times...what I had to do for my son. In addition to the work of pumping and bottle feeding, I had to begin a series of oral exercises 3-4 times/day to strengthen his mouth with the hopes that he could return to breastfeeding. With two other children (homeschooling one of them) and the demands of having a newborn, these extra steps were a lot...and I wasn't sure how long I could do it. The best advice I was given was by my lactation consultant and that was to take one day at a time. If I thought too much about the weeks or months of hard work that lay before me, I would have despaired...but to look at today was enough. So I fought...

And it has been a good fight. One of the best (and hardest) of my life. I am tired now, and I am not willing to fight sleep for this blog post, so let me conclude. These four months have been a battle. I have had to fight in so many ways for a strong bond with my son. So much has gotten in the way of a normal, natural, mother/baby bond. But this fight has been worth it.

Last week (April 27) Will began nursing full-time again...two months after I stopped nursing and began this hard journey of bottle feeding and pumping and oral therapy. I still have fears about whether he is getting enough or if it might start hurting again. Hopefully a visit to the pediatrician tomorrow will relieve some of those fears. Will has also started sleeping through the night. He also coos and smiles so sweetly. This boy is so sweet. And he knows my voice. That is one of the most rewarding things about this fight...we have spent more time together than I probably did with my other two in their first 4 months...and he knows me...and I know him. Our bond is special. I had to fight for it. It did not come naturally. It was birthed and nurtured through disappointment, pain, despair, and hard work. And now I find myself bursting when I am with him. To look in those blue eyes and see his sweet grin when I speak...I burst. Burst with love. Burst with joy. Burst with pleasure over the sheer delight of enjoying my baby...this sweet gift who God gave me in his perfect timing and who has walked this journey with me.

I know the journey continues...but this segment of the journey feels at rest. There is a rest in my heart that I have not felt since he was born. He is gonna be ok. I am gonna be ok. We are going to be ok. I am thankful for the fight. I am thankful that, for now, the fighting is finished. I am thankful for the bond with my youngest son. It was worth the fight.

I am thankful for the Lord who fought for me. He despaired over our separation to the point of going to the cross. His sacrifice was ultimate. And I am thankful for our bond...that nothing can separate me from him. Thank you, Lord, for your fight. And that you did not relent. And I am yours. And I know your voice. And there is rest.

Will on Monday, May 2, 2011 - Four Months Old

Before church with the kids on Sunday, May 1.
Still LOVE carrying Will in the Moby.

Doesn't he just make you want to burst???!!!
This is my favorite outfit of his right now - "Mommy's Little Man" - which he pooped on and stained...but he still wears it cause I love it so much.

I mean...really...I just want to BURST!!!

Happy 4th Birthday, Millie!

My Millie. What a dear, sweet girl. Loves dresses (twirly ones if at all possible). Loves life. I am so thankful for this day four years ago when God gave her to us.

Today we had our traditional birthday donuts and presents (Cinderella dress, Pink and Purple Leapster with Tangled and Princess games, a Sleeping Beauty bath doll and gum from Hunter). The gum is something we have told Millie she could have when she turned four. After she swallowed two pieces today we're thinking we may still need to wait a while. We went to Chuck E Cheese and had the place to ourselves...lots of riding the little rides and getting her picture taken for the little cards they print out.

Millie, I love you soooo much. I am so thankful for the gift of my girl. You bring enthusiasm and laughter to our family. You are sweet in your words. I love when you tell me I am beautiful or that my outfit is beautiful. I love your sweet voice that often says: "I love you, Mommy." Our family would not be the same without you.

Here are a few pics from today. To see the birthday photos from past years, go here.

My little girl is 4. Where is the time going? Lord, may I treasure these days.

Sooooo excited about presents!!!

Birthday Donuts...a Friederichsen family tradition that started with Millie's first birthday

Cinderella playing with her new Leapster

Sister and Brother enjoying the roller coaster simulator at Chuck E Cheese

Chuck E Cheese came out right before we left to wish Millie a happy birthday

The Things They Say...

I have enjoyed putting Will in this sleeper of Hunter's. A few Sunday nights ago after children's choir, a friend of mine saw Will in this sleeper and just knew her 4 year old son would love it since it is in the pattern of his favorite animal. We brought her son over to see Will, and the conversation went a little something like this:

Jenn (holding her son close to Will): Joshua, what does this outfit remind you of?

Joshua: Jesus
Jenn: No, what animal does it remind you of?
Joshua (with a big grin): Oh, a giraffe!

Looks like a giraffe, but he just knew the answer had to be Jesus!

William Oliver - 3 Months Old

April 2, 2011 - Will at 3 months old

3 Months ago I fell in love. William Oliver Friederichsen entered the world and changed my life. I look at so many things differently now that he is here. Now that he is in my arms. In our home. Growing. Changing so much everyday. Will, I am so thankful for you. You are making me a better mama. I love kissing your cheeks and trying to get every little smile and smirk I can out of you.

Here are some thing you are doing at 3 months old:

Smiling...finally! You aren't quite consistent, but you definitely give us a few smiles everyday...which warm your mama's heart.

You are now in 3-6 month clothes. I just washed them all up last week.

You just had your first blow-out diaper today. Had to wash all the bed linens, because it happened when you were laying on my bed. Since I didn't notice right away, I moved you from my sheets to the comforter, so the sheets, comforter, comforter cover, and mattress pad all got washed today.

You had your first babysitter tonight. Beckie and Mark Robb came so that Mommy and Daddy could go out to dinner for Daddy's birthday. We left you for 3 1/2 hours, and you did great! Mrs. Robb said that you slept happily in your stroller as they took Hunter and Millie to the church to ride bikes. You sucked down your bottle and stayed wide awake for a while. Then you went to sleep easily and stayed asleep until we got home at 8:30 p.m.

You are nursing better. You are taking full feedings in the mornings which is fun for Mommy. We are still working on the rest of the day. Hopefully by four months you will be back to nursing 100%. That is my prayer.

Sometimes you look like Hunter, and sometimes you look like Millie....and sometimes you have a look all of your own.

You will be baptized next Sunday. We are looking forward to that day.

You are still getting up once in the night. I am longing for the day I can sleep more than 4 hours at a time, but Daddy is feeding you around 11 or 11:30, and then you are up again between 4-4:30 a.m. and then up for the day between 7:30-8:00 a.m. Eating seven times/day.

Will, I can't believe you are three months already. One quarter of your first year has passed...and I will try to breathe in all the moments I can as you continue to grow into the little man God has made you to be. I love you, sweet boy.

Getting a little Big Bro time with Hunter

We went to Park Avenue and the Farmer's Market this morning.
I love carrying you in the Moby, and you love it too. Soooo snuggly.

CHEESE!!!

Still such little toes

Chillin' with Daddy...still loving your paci but not as much as last month

Gonna try to get more pictures with Mommy in them.
Mommy loves you, little one!