These Four No More

2 Months Old

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:11:00 +0000

I have totally fallen prey to second time mom syndrome. Corbin turned 2 months old on January 19th, so this is like a week late! However, his doctor's appointment was just on Wednesday, so it's not too terribly bad.

Corbin now weighs 11 lbs 9 oz and is in the 29th %ile. I don't think the girls have gotten past the 10th %tile in their weight in 3 whole years! He is also 22.25" long. Corbin is wearing size 2 Huggies diapers and we've moved to 3-6 month clothing. Little man's not going to fit in his Easter outfit at this rate!

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:03:00 +0000

We've Moved

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:59:00 +0000

Ok, we've not moved domains, or blog names, or anything like that. But, I never did change my Facebook Fan Page when I renamed my blog last summer. I tried changing it, but since I had over 100 fans - I was unable to. I finally got around to creating a new Facebook Fan Page today (I know, I know - better late than never, eh?).

So if you would, click the icon below and LIKE my page :)

Random Ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:11:00 +0000

* I blogged a few weeks ago about the bunk beds that we had bought the girls from Walmart. Unfortunately, they sucked. I mean, we got them home & out of the box, and every single head board & foot board was cracked. And it wasn't Walmart's fault - the company chose broken wood to use, and then painted over it! Needless to say, we weren't pleased and returned them. We've been shopping around and really love this set from Rooms to Go Kids. It's a bit more than we were originally going to spend, but the quality is so nice, it will last for years. We'll buy the white for Natalie & Emma's room, and either pine or cherry for Audrey's room (which Corbin may later share).

* My weight loss journey is sucking hard core. I find it so hard to get to the gym. The moment I get off work, I rush home to spend time with the kids. I know I need to take some time for myself, otherwise I'll continue to be unhappy. It's just hard finding a good balance.

* We just spent over a week without a dishwasher. Ours broke (it was installed when the house was built, so it lasted 10 years). Thankfully, we were able to buy & install a new one this weekend. And it actually really washes the dishes! Hand washing after 6 people is for the birds.

* I suck at being a second time around mom. I still haven't taken Corbin's two month pictures. I figure his appointment is on Wednesday, so I'll wait to post them then.

* I did some curriculum writing work over this past summer, and will finally be paid for it this month. I have my eye on two different camera lenses and can't decide which I want. I have a Canon Rebel XS with the kit lens, 50mm f/1.8, and 35mm f/2.0. I'm not a huge fan of the 35mm, though. I'm looking at either upgrading to the 50mm f/1.4, or buying the Sigma 30. Any recommendations?

* I've had several people ask if I'm still breastfeeding Corbin, and the answer is no. I developed a nasty case of mastitis, along with being sick, and my supply tanked. I'm the "lucky" type that gets mastitis chronically while breastfeeding or pumping. I had quite a freezer stash, so he was able to use that for a while. He is now on Similac Sensitive and gaining weight like crazy. I think someone asked because I posted that he was sleeping 10-4 or 5 - but he was a great sleeper even when breastfed. I don't think the formula made that magically happen. I mean, the girls were on Neosure and they never slept that long!

* And if you could, please click! We've fallen a bit behind (probably because I don't have the time to blog regularly any more).

{Dd}

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:50:00 +0000

52 week ABC photo challege - want to play along?

Previous Posts: A, B, C

Phone Dump

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:54:00 +0000

We took the girls to see Beauty & the Beast in 3D. Audrey didn't make it past the previews (yea, thanks for making giant lizards, bears & Darth Maul in 3D for a rated G movie).

Sleepy Boy

My new Ergo - that Natalie loves to ride around in

Little man helping me give the girls a bath

My Moby - that Corbin is in love with

Snug as a bug - and sleeping from 10-5!

This is how I get ready for work in the morning - all 3 kids on my bed.

Baby jeans!!

Little Houdini

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:35:00 +0000

These boots were made for walking...

Corbin's First Smile

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:29:00 +0000

Yesterday, I was trying my hardest to clean the girls' rooms. I'd quickly clean Natalie's room, while the girls played in Audrey's room, and by the time I was finished, I had to clean Audrey's room while they trashed Natalie's again. I finally gave up and decided to play with the kiddos instead. And I'm so glad I did, because my goofy girls made Corbin give us his first real, reactionary smile.

And a few more pics

This is kind of funny - but Audrey was telling me that I HAD to put medicine on her "boo boo" on her knee. She didn't even have a boo boo, she just wanted another Strawberry Shortcake bandaid.

{Cc}

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:58:00 +0000

52 week ABC photo challege - want to play along?

Previous Posts: A, B

Hoot Hoot

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:46:00 +0000

Phone Dump

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:54:00 +0000

Yep, they dressed themselves

Planking

Guess we should get a blue cover

Nap time

Where's Audrey?

Material Girl

My lovie

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:37:00 +0000

Oops, not so Wordless Wednesday. I just noticed Tea Collection is having their semi annual sale - with clothing up to 60% off. They have adorable things, and they really stand the wear and tear of little kids. If you've never ordered from there, you can get $25 off a $50 purchase. Click HERE for the code.

The Girls & Corbin

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:56:00 +0000

Every evening, I have to share my baby boy with his sisters & dad. Sometimes, Eddie jokes that we should have had twins, so we'd have more than one baby to pass around, lol. The girls very much love their little brother, and are so sweet to him. Each other? Not so much!

Menu {Dinner} Plan Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:43:00 +0000

I searched online for a menu plan template that only focused on dinner (because I work, breakfast & lunch are always yogurt, fruit & salad), and that I could edit on my computer. However, most menus had all three meals, and were only available in a PDF form. So, being my sometimes over-achieving self, I made this template in Word (it's very similar to my lesson plan template) that I can go in and edit.

I also added my shopping list to the side, and in OCD fashion, listed the items by location in the store for ease. A lot of the recipes I use are from the allrecipes.com app, and I use my Kindle Fire as a cookbook. Hopefully I can stick to this - I was able to make every planned meal last week. Obviously, if we feel like eating out on Friday, then I'll make that meal on Sunday instead.

Anyway, I figured I'd do a post for the next few weeks getting y'all to link up your menus. This way, I might find more inspiration for mine, and only have to pull a new one out every week - already typed up! Just add your link below (and I don't care if they are old, either).

And if you would like my template, click here to download from Google Docs. Make sure you save it to your computer, and don't edit online.

{Bb}

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:18:00 +0000

52 week ABC photo challege - want to play along?

Previous Posts: A

Aa

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:53:00 +0000

52 week ABC photo challege - want to play along?

Pictures I Forgot to Post

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:54:00 +0000

So, I'm sitting here thinking of something to post. I thought "maybe I could write about how at least someone in our house has been sick for the past two months", or "I bet my readers would love to hear about Natalie's 'I can't walk, I'm a mermaid' temper tantrum". But alas, I'm sleep deprived (not from the newborn, mind you), grumpy from lack of caffeine, and just plain lazy. But, as I was looking at my Picasa albums, I realized I had pictures I never shared. So - here goes:

Can you tell the girls love playing with their brother's stuff?

Feel free to be less lazy than me, and click!

Random Ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:52:00 +0000

* I quit Pepsi. This is HUGE. I've been a pop drinker my whole life, with Pepsi being my fav. I haven't had a regular Pepsi since December 30, and had about 5 sips of a Pepsi Max on December 31. Needless to say, I am NOT in a good mood. My head hurts, and I salivate at the thought of drinking a nice, cold pop. But I WILL stay strong on this. Especially since my girls want to drink what I'm drinking, and I don't want them to grow up as addicted to pop as I've been.

* I'm also on Day 3 of my New Year "lose the baby weight" diet. I've cut portions, and am trying to eat right. I eat yogurt and fruit for breakfast (or cereal), salads for lunch with more fruit, and try to have a smaller portioned, normal dinner. It's hard, and sometimes I get hungry. But I also just finished 9 months of eating what I want, when I want. I weighed myself Tuesday morning and this morning, and am already down 3.2 pounds. I realize most of that was probably from freaking pop! I've also started going back to the gym after almost a year long hiatus. I did Zumba last night, and will do Pilates tomorrow. I'm thinking three days a week at the gym should be fine, with a work out video and weight lifting done at home.

* Work is going ok right now. This morning was the first morning that I had to get all three kids up & ready to leave. I woke up at 6, got myself ready, changed & fed Corbin at 7, woke the girls up at 7:15, and tried to be out the door by 7:40 at the latest. Eddie's dad is picking up Corbin and taking him to their house during the day (his siblings go to a school near our house, so it coincides with their drop off/pick up times), and the girls go to their school until 2:00, when my mom picks them up. On Fridays, my mom is going to watch all three at the house. So...it's a bit crazy, but we're so lucky to have people who want to be involved in our childrens' lives.

* Corbin is growing like a weed. It wouldn't surprise me if he was nearing 10 pounds already. He sure has a little pot belly!

* The girls are both very gentle and love their brother. They still fight with each other, and the threes are a lot more stressful than the twos. Sometimes I feel like I'm spending so much time with them after work, that I don't get to enjoy Corbin.

* I need to take more pictures. Time is flying by, and Corbin is growing so fast. I don't want to miss out on this - or look back and think "hey, I didn't take as many pictures because he was my last baby".

* I'm fairly sure this weekend the girls' beds will be here, so we'll be busy assembling them and getting them used to a new environment. I'm excited, and so are they.

* The hubby and I have started & finished a few TV shows. We got hooked on Breaking Bad and have watched the first 3 seasons on Netflix. I watched Borgia (not the Showtime version) on Netflix, and loved it. We're now watching Firefly. That's about as wild & crazy as we get, folks.

2011 in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:55:00 +0000

Sorry this is late - but I've been just a wee bit busy :)

And here's 2010, 2009 & 2008 if you are super bored! I'm excited to see what 2012 has in store for our family. 2011 was FULL of changes, and a great year for us.

Back to Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Well, today was my first day back to work. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, though. I had a solid lesson plan, I remembered my students' names, and I only dealt with dropping Natalie off at school (Eddie is home today with Corbin & Audrey spent the night at my mom's house). Tomorrow will be the true test when I have to get all three kids and myself ready!

I need to do a phone photo dump, since my SD card is nearing full. Here's a bunch of pics from the last few weeks!

Corbin perfecting his Blue Steel look

Watching the baby sleep

I like to call this one Crime Scene Rapunzel (she feel asleep watching TV)

I call this one Narcoleptic Napper (seriously, WHO could sleep like this?)

Audrey's letter to Santa

She loves her brother (she named her new baby doll Corbin, lol)

Fluffy the Elf would have scared the crap out of me - they loved him

Natalie likes her brother, too

Can you tell my house stays at 74 degrees in the winter?

He loves the bath!

My Christmas gift from Eddie

Audrey & her baby doll

Helping with laundry

Natalie & her straight hair

This is not her bed - but I found her and every animal she owns in it!

And I cut my hair - 8 inches off!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:36:00 +0000

I can't believe that it is 2012. It seems like just yesterday it was 2000, and I was a senior in high school. Now I'm married and have 4 children!

I've been trying to get things ready for going back to work tomorrow. I still can't believe Corbin is 6 weeks old - when he should only really be a week and a half old! He's growing like a week, already starting to outgrow size 1 diapers and 0-3 month outfits.

New Beds

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Getting Audrey a new bed has been on my to do list for quite some time. Earlier this year, I painted her room a really pretty purple color. However, she was simply in her crib converted into a toddler bed. And my child sleeps CRAZY. In fact, I've had a twin size mattress next to her bed for months, because she often rolls out of bed. So my goal was to find a twin size bed that she wouldn't roll out of.

I ended up buying this bunk bed set from Walmart. First of all, the price was right at under $300 for the bunks & mattresses. But my favorite part is that the beds come apart and turn into two twin sized beds. And see that top bunk? I'm hoping that with a one foot hole, Audrey won't be able to fall out of her bed any more. I'll be putting the second bed in Natalie's room - and will buy a third single twin bed for Emma. Eventually I'm sure we'll bunk them, but for now - we'll keep them apart.

And what's a new bed without cute new bedding? I'm in love with this set!

Belated Christmas Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:34:00 +0000

I have been so slack on posting - sorry. Things have been crazy here trying to organize after Hurricane Christmas. Not only am I focusing on cleaning out toys to donate, and putting away new toys - but I'm trying to make room for three twin sized beds that we're going to buy in the next week or so. Oh, and I also made a trip to the mall for myself. I know, that's crazy talk, but I had to buy some clothes that actually fit for when I go back to work on Monday.

Anyway, I'm a bit behind, so here's pictures of our Christmas at Eddie's parents' house.

Bokeh

Focused

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 04:11:00 +0000

We did things a little bit differently this year - Santa came this morning, instead of the 25th. The girls will leave tomorrow morning at 9:30 to celebrate Christmas with their dad's family. Seeing that they usually get up around 9, it didn't make any sense to rush them to open Santa gifts and shoo them out the door. Plus, they can't exactly read calendars just yet :) So Santa made his way to our house last night - and the girls were super excited to open their gifts.

The little ballerina

The little mommy

The little baby

Later today, we went to North Carolina to do our annual Christmas Eve party with my family. The girls had so much fun opening presents - and handing out presents to everyone else.

All in all, they'll have 5 Christmases this year (Eddie's parents, Santa, my Grandma, Dad's family & my parents). We get Emma for the week tomorrow at 2, so we have yet another party to attend, and presents to open with her. Let's just say we'll be pretty busy for the next few days! I hope everyone out there is able to enjoy this holiday season.

1 Month Old

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:19:00 +0000

(This is just a few days late - but I have an excuse...or 4!)

Corbin left the hospital at 5 lbs 4 oz, and yesterday at his one month appointment was a whopping 8 lbs 2.5 oz! He has also gone from 18.5" long to 20" long. He sure is a growing boy! Right now, Corbin eats around 4 oz every 3-4 hours. He has a wakeful time in the early afternoon, and then once again around 11:30 at night (oh yeah, it's fun times). For instance, he was up last night from midnight until 3:30 in the morning. And to think - I go back to work in a week!

And just a few more pics

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