You've come a long way, babies

What a year it has been! From special formula to whole milk, sleeping in shifts to sleeping like normal people, laying side by side in a small bassinet to cruising around furniture, these children have come so far! I feel privileged to be able to watch them grow and mature and blessed that they are ours!

Emma Kate and Sam Warren, just a few minutes old. They were in the special care nursery and I had yet to hold them or see them, but Matthew went with them and got a few very sweet pictures.Day 2

We were so excited to see them with open eyes

Day3

Getting ready to go home!Caroline peeking in on them once we were homeBig Sister holding them for the first time...notice Bunny in her left hand Emma Kate then

and now Sam then
and now Psalm 127:3
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

I'm a little teapot

this is dark, but her singing more than makes up for it.

The Pan that Can

My mom gave me this cookbook for my birthday and I LOVE it. Caroline and I made the Chicken Paprikash last night and she gave it a 12 out of 10 (which means nothing really) and Matt gave it a 9 (10s are saved for VERY special dishes). It was very good, but I tripled the amount of salt and paprika. first of all, it starts with bacon, so were there really any doubts that it would be pretty tasty?then you sweat the carrots and celery in the bacon drippings...again, any doubts?

then you add sour cream, milk, flour, lemon zest, and lots of paprika

toss with egg noodles and top with chicken before baking...yumm-o!

Just Emma

Emma woke up a little earlier than the others today and we really enjoyed our one-on-one with her. She was all smiles and giggles and loved getting to play with anything she wanted without it being taken away. Being her mother, I am extremely biased, but I think she is just adorable!

but Sam soon joined the party...

The Park and more...

We finally saw some sun this week and made good use of it; we went to the park! Caroline's friend, Camden, met us there (along with his mom Tiffany and brother Mason). It was a great afternoon and really nice to get out of the house!

crunching ice

Caroline and Camdenclimbing the stairs to the twirly slidealong for the ride this one looks a bit staged, but it isn't...I went in to tuck her in and this is how I found her. I think it captures how she feels about bunny, so I grabbed my camera and used the night feature (her room was very dark, but you'd never know it). Luckily, my need to capture every possible moment of the lives of my children didn't wake her up, whew!

Katharine's Baby Shower

My friend Cara and I had the honor of hosting our friend Katharine's baby shower today. We had it at the Cupcake Shoppe. Although the weather was a bit misty and grey, we had a wonderful afternoon. Lemon zinger cupcakes, brie with fresh berries, shrimp and cocktail sauce, hot coffee, tea, and chocolate mini cupcake favors were the menu. What a blessing a baby is and I am so happy for Katharine! Cara, Katharine, and I
Cara and Katharine

Katharine waiting for her mom to arrive...a true "baby shower"

the tables

the favors

the buffet


opening gifts...isn't she cute?

Puzzled

I am a little bit puzzled at just how we came to this stage so quickly. I think having a dear friend who is about to have her first baby makes me vividly remember having Caroline as a newborn. I remember every smell and sound from those first few days of her life and here she is now, solving a twenty piece puzzle. Caroline received this in the mail today from my grandparents and I was sure that it would be beyond her capabilities and that I would end up doing it myself. Again, she proves me wrong. She methodically analyzed each piece to see how it might fit. I sat and watched her in amazement. Occasionally, I was needed to help her find a certain piece or remind her that the flat edges go on the sides, but she really did well. What a smarty pants she is!

The things she says...

Caroline can really crack me up..here are a few of the things she has gotten me with over the last few days:

"I'll be right back, I REALLY need to brush my teeth."

"Being naked makes me cold, but I like to be naked."

"I only really like pretzels when I see the babies eating them, then I want one."

"I have crumbs on my fingers. Time to wash my hands again." (It had been almost three minutes since she had last washed them.

"PU! Lucy is making bad smells with her body. I think she needs to go make BM or something".

And to think, last year we were waiting for her to string together more than three words...

Caroline modeling Sam's shirt...guess who can dress themself now? She also like to wear Sam and Emma's socks...why, we don't know.

Birthday Party

Our neighbor, Matthew, was turning three this weekend and we were invited to his birthday party. Amy, Mike, and Luke were also there and Amy got a cute shot of the "triplets". I am actually amazed that they were all sitting still for a nanosecond and that she was able to capture this picture. Luke and the twins were born on the same day and it has been a joy to watch them grow together this first year. Matthew and I really loved out old house, but this one has allowed us to make so many great friends and for the children to have playmates...we are so thankful!

Necked times three

You have probably heard the old joke, "Naked means you don't have any clothes on but Necked means you don't have any clothes on and you're up to something". This sums up Caroline to a T. She is into stripping right now and I have to fight to keep clothes on her. It isn't a really big deal unless we are going somewhere (hard enough to dress three kids, but one twice, oh please!). Today I had gotten Caroline dressed for M's visit then sent her to play with Sam and Emma while I got ready. When I went into their room she had not only undressed herself, but them as well. Let's just say keeping a straight face was hard! I didn't think to take a picture, but I'm sure you can imagine the whole scene.

Sick Lady

Note to self: When a child says they have a tummy ache, they mean it! Poor Caroline has the stomach bug...but doesn't she still look cute? These pictures taken post bath.

The ol' pacifier switch-a-roo

Birthday

My birthday was last week and I am so thankful that I got to spend it with both sides of my family and lots of friends. Matthew got the kids breakfast while I slept in a bit and then he and Caroline brought gifts into the bed for me...not a bad way to start the day. Matthew's parents came on Thursday night to take us to dinner, Katharine and Chris brought dinner and cake on Friday evening, my parents and grandparents came on Saturday, and my friends Bea and Elizabeth took me to the Cheesecake Factory on Sunday night...whew! It wasn't really a birthday that I cared a lot about, but everyone made it really special.