Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!!

We are off to our first Halloween Party!!

This year I dressed up as a sleep deprived crazily hormonal lady. No costume necessary. 

BOO!

Pumpkin Carving

Saturday the good ol' pumpkins got carved. It's a good thing my brother called and asked if he and his girlfriend could come over and carve pumpkins with us. Otherwise, the pumpkins would probably still be sitting on our front porch, uncarved. It's a good thing they brought food for lunch too. Otherwise...well lets just say nursing my new little pumpkin around the clock makes me so hungry!!! 

We had a great time with Bryce and Chelsey. We all love them so much and it was the perfect way to entertain some energetic kids on a stormy Saturday!

The kids each picked out what they wanted on their pumpkins:

Braxton - Ninja Turtle

Adelle - Hello Kitty Witch

Emmett - Pirate Skull

Bryce and Chelsey - Haunted House

We all helped the kids with theirs which was a full time job. I think I got off the easiest. I printed off the patterns and helped gut the pumpkins. Then I got busy sorting/washing/roasting the seeds for everyone to snack on while they all carved. 

Everyone was happy with the finished products. 

Now if Halloween would just get here already. Our house has been decorated all month and poor Emmett asks me everyday if it's Halloween yet.

2 weeks old!

 Emmett is ready for this guy to grow up and play

 My girlfriend Kibby came over and we attempted a photo shoot. My aunt Marlene made Gage the little diaper he is wearing. It is so cute!!!

And my friend Mandy made the gorgeous warm blanket he is sitting on.

 Here is the light bed that Gage got to lay on for 3 days.

 I have ventured out more this week. To Costco with the gang on Tuesday and to Library today. I forgot how much I love my little wallet holder. So handy to not have to carry a purse ;) Also the "fabric tent" my friend Allia made to hide the baby. It hooks onto the carseat and provides a safe/warm little place for him to nap.

 One morning Braxton laid down by Gage to sing to him and totally conked out. I covered him with a blanket and snapped a picture.

I am constantly reminding myself to get pictures of this little guy by himself. Most pictures have a brother or sister in them. 

Things are getting back to normal. Jeff is back working regularly and the kids and I are getting back to our routine. Gage's jaundice levels are normal now too, huge relief to me and his poor heels that got poked too many times ;)

smitten

This baby boy of ours is such a doll. We cannot get enough of him. I know I have said it before but there is something so special about siblings. I can't get enough of my kids lovin' on each other.

Happy Birthday Braxton

 Braxton Allan turned 7 today!! I can't believe how fast those 7 years have gone. Braxton requested pancakes so that is what we had for breakfast along with special birthday smoothies.

Look at that smile. I love this handsome boy who keeps growing on me!!

 The kids and I had fun creating the dragon cake he asked for.

 At the beginning of the month when I knew I was due to have a baby I started thinking about Braxton's birthday and how I was going to make it special. I knew how good he would be with the new baby and I wanted to really recognize him and provide him with a really special day.

I think I was really inspired to call up our friends who own Karate Qwest. I scheduled a birthday party for Braxton and it was the best choice I ever could have made.

Plus, it was an early release day from school so it was the perfect thing to do!

 Braxton got to invite a ton of friends and I didn't have to have my house ready for them, or destroyed by them :)

Literally all I did was help Brax make the invites, make a cake,  and show up and take pictures.

Not typically my kind of thing but absolutely perfect for just having had a baby.

 Gage was a party animal too! Here he is with his future BFF, Caleb.

 Emmett loved every minute of the party and Braxton is the best big brother. Emmett didn't leave his side the whole time and Braxton kept putting his arm around him and kissing his head. So sweet.

 Here they are working on some moves.

 After the structured part of the party they got to play with all the equipment, free for all. The kids loved this part and went crazy. 

 Braxton is super into Lego's right now and scored a ton. He and Emmett play Legos for hours. He got a lot of other cool things too. 

And last but not least he got to cut his cake with a sword! How awesome is that to a 7 year old boy!!

After the party Braxton got to go shopping with his Bama and then he requested Little Ceasars Pizza for dinner. Can't get much easier than that.

I love this boy so much. He continues to teach me so much everyday and I am so honored to be his mom.

Happy Birthday Brax!

Emmett's Self Portrait

Emmett loves to draw.

He will sit at the table with his brother and sister while they work on homework and he will draw and color away. Or, if they aren't home, he will color and draw by himself, or with me. 

Emmett is also a lefty, like Brax. Not sure how I got two lefty's...

I have scanned the first self portrait each of my kids have drawn. I think they are magical. To see them put on paper their own features is really remarkable.

I will have to check back at the ages my other kids did their self portraits but Emmett I think wins for the most detailed at the youngest age. He is only 2 1/2 and I think this picture is super accurate.

And of course he signed his work. At the bottom in the purple is "E" for Emmett. He really likes making E's but he gets a little carried away with the lines coming off the E's.

And if you need help with the picture:

The red in the middle at the top is the hair

on both sides of the hair are his ears

underneath the hair is the nose

The eyes are inside the nose

The mouth is the straight line under the nose, with the tongue sticking out

Then the legs at the bottom and the arms coming out the sides 

:)

One week old!

 Gage is already 1 week old. It is going really fast, and there has been a lot going on.

 The kids have taught him how to play peek-a-boo ;) 

 Adelle still hasn't tired of holding him. I don't think she ever will. This sis is in heaven.

 I have been down a lot more than I would have liked but thankfully Jeff has been home and the kids got used to coming into my room and hanging out.  This has been the hardest part for me. I do not like to feel helpless and I have found myself feeling that way with all that has been going on. I am much better now, hence back to blogging ;)

 We have had visitors come and we are so thankful for our loving family and friends who have seriously made this so much easier on all of us. The love we have felt has been such a strength.

This is Gage with Grandma Johnson.

 I have been out of the house for a total of 1/2 hour since getting home from the nursery. Adelle and I snuck out real quick one afternoon to see Braxton get his award from the jog-a-thon. He got 2nd place again for all the 1st grade boys. Last year in Kindergarten he got 2nd place as well and he even ran the same amount of laps. Horray for consistency!

 Gage looks so much like Braxton to me when Braxton was a baby. This picture really shows it I think. He is a happy little guy.

 Emmett loves being a big brother but came down with a cold this week so he was miserable for a couple days. Nothing like adding to the already boiling pot. Thankfully he is on the mend now and no one else is sick.

 Emmett loves to tickle Gage.

It's funny too Jeff and I both keep calling Gage, Emmett. I guess we are really used to him being the baby ;)

 After a few heal pokes last night we got the call that Gage's jaundice levels were high and that we needed to do light therapy, like immediately. So late last night the option care nurse comes over with this glow worm like apparatus and a light bed for our little guy to sleep in. 

Nothing like nerve racking for this momma, yet again.

This jaundice thing however has been way easier than I expected and as of today he is showing dramatic improvements. 

I really keep counting my blessings because I know things could be a lot worse. (buy you try telling my hormones that ;)

 My friend brought dinner tonight, again one of many delicious dinners that have been brought and enjoyed, and she made sugar cookie dough and brought Halloween cutters. 

So we celebrated with the older kids. Just mom, dad, and the former 3 made Halloween cookies. It was a good break and time we all needed. 

And before they were completely dead I had to post a picture of this amazing bouquet my brother brought me after Gage was born. It's from Pike Place (love it there) and it says Andrea all over it. I love how perfect they are for me. The plant in the middle is Kale. Thanks Bryce & Chelsey!

On to week 2.