2014 - Week 30

Monday was a pretty busy day. The big girls were home, and Christian actually took the day off as well. I got to work on my chores for the day right away in the morning…I took Amelia to Target, to pick out a birthday cake and buy a few things, and Party City to order balloons. It’s official, we’re having a pink, girly Hello Kitty party! Once home, and between feedings, I did some laundry and finished getting the basement cleaned up and in order. It was hot, hot, HOT out today, so once I finished up my chores and the girls were up from their naps, we hit up the pool for a while. It was still a little chilly, but not as bad, and I got in there with the girls so they were more willing to get in and play around today. Once it cooled off a bit, Christian mowed the grass (other than baby duty, his main task for the day). Successful day!

Taking a dip with my girls

On Tuesday, the big girls were home again – they go to daycare three days a week right now, so we decided to have them go on Friday, instead of today, so we had the day to do party stuff. It was the last day of having all three girls home with me as they return to full time next Monday (ahead of Eliza’s Tuesday start at daycare, and my Wednesday return to work). We painted our nails, watched some movies and hung out around the house. Just had a pretty relaxing day. One week from today Eliza will have her trial day at daycare, and I just can’t believe it. I’ve been getting a little overwhelmed with paperwork, bills, planning. I’m off of payroll at work right now, so I’m dealing with insurance and parking bills, I still have my hospital bill to pay, we have a bunch of kindergarten paperwork to fill out – turns out Olivia’s medical/immunization paperwork is already late, oops! I still have to have her doctor fill out/sign her forms, and that probably won’t happen until I return to work. There’s just so much going on, on top of getting ready for the party and doing some final planning, and getting ready for daycare and my return to work. It’s just all piling on right now and my brain feels like it’s going to explode most days. I just have to keep reminding myself to breath and that everything is going to work out just fine. Outside of trying to get everything in order and figure out what I need to be doing, it was a pretty low key day. As must as they drive me nuts, I’m going to miss spending more time with those crazy girls of mine!

Seriously, look at that smile!

Painted Nails with the Big Girls

Tummy Time for the babe

Sister Love

Wednesday started off pretty good. Eliza and I were up around 5:30 for a feeding. We finished up just in time to help get the big girls ready and off to school. Christian has been “stuck” with that duty while I’ve been on leave (as I’ve either been up on and off all night with Eliza, or I have just recently gotten back to sleep from a feeding), so I know he loves when I’m actually up and able to help out. He’s getting a little glimpse into my morning routine, LOL. Once they were all off and on their way, baby and I made our way back to bed. I fed her again, and she started to drift off. I took a chance, laid down and tried to fall asleep for a bit myself. Next thing you know, I’m waking up at 9:30, feeling pretty refreshed. It was wonderful. I snuck out of bed so I could fit in some breakfast, a shower and a little alone time, hoping Eliza would still sleep just a tad longer. She sure did, until 11:00! Where has this sleep schedule been my entire leave?!? I’m guessing it won’t happen again, but it was sure wonderful today! The rest of the day was pretty standard…eating, watching some TV, a walk to Walmart, cat naps here and there, dinner when the family got home. The usual. One week from today, it’s back to work for me. So crazy.

Dressed up like my favorite animal today

Thursday was another pretty busy day of getting some chores checked off of the list. First up, Eliza and I made the drive up to the clinic to drop off Olivia’s kindergarten paperwork. I was going to wait, but I know it will take some time to get it back, and the clinic is close to my work, so I’ll be able to pick it up when I’m back to work next week. It was nice to get out for a little drive too. Once home, I spent the day, between feedings of course, cleaning up the bedrooms and finishing up laundry for the week. The house is coming together and we’re just about ready for party day! I have to say, I got some BIG BIG BIG laughs from Eliza today, and it just melts my heart. When they really star understanding, and reacting, it’s such a wonderful feeling. There is just nothing like a big old belly laugh from a baby to put a smile on your face! Once Christian was home with the girls, I made a quick run to Target to get a few cleaning supplies we need to finish getting ready for the party, and to get some treats for Amelia to bring to school tomorrow. My medium baby is almost 4!!!! How did that happen?!?

Selfie with my babe before running errands

Chloe, wishing she could have my peanut butter!

My Throwback Thursday photo this week...just about 3 years ago, a mom I met online, and her family, came to visit us in person. From the moment we met, our families forged a very special bond. They'll be coming back for their since annual visit in a couple weeks and I cannot wait!

Friday was a busy worker bee day. Christian was off work for the day, and we each had a list of chores galore to tackle. First up, I got the big girls up, ready and off to school, Amelia with her birthday treats in hand. I love how excited they get to share treats with their friends, it’s so sweet. Next up, I started hitting my list while Christian was on baby duty. I dusted, vacuumed, swept/mopped and cleaned the kitchen. The basement and the upstairs is officially clean and party ready. All that is left is the entry way, which will get done last minute tomorrow (that’s where the litter box is, so we wait on that). I made my final shopping run – Target for food, Party City for a few decorations, and I was done for the day. I took over baby care while Christian got started on his list. He cut and trimmed the grass, which takes FOREVER when he really does everything, watered everything, then his friend Lorenzo came over to help him start setting up tables and get the garage cleaned up, JUST IN CASE is rains again this year. It’s not supposed to, but we’re not taking any risks again. It was late when all was done, but other than the last minute stuff, we’re ready and that’s pretty rare! I have to share this story though…amidst the cleaning, we were all inside when there was a knock on the door, at 7:30PM. I don’t answer the door, especially for solicitors, so I ignored it. Christian of course can’t restrain himself, so he finally went to check it out. It was oen of those yard care solicitors...Christian opened the door and no lie; the guy asked him if his mom or dad was home. He told the guy he owns the house, we’re in the middle of dinner (lie) and closed the door. When he came up and told me this, I could not stop laughing. I mean, Christian seriously does not age, but I think it’s the first time somebody has ever actually mistaken him for a child. I shared the story on facebook and I’m pretty sure it brightened the day of all our friends and family, that’s for sure. Oh, the joy of being married to an ageless wonder!

Taking a snooze in sissy's bed...

So dang cute!

Heading off to school with birthday treats to share with her friends!

Saturday was finally the day…my middlest baby turned 4, and we were ready to celebrate with family and friends. Oh Amelia, she is pretty much everything you would expect in a middle child. She dances to the beat of her own drum, she’s all drama, she craves attention. She’s a free spirit with way too much attitude for such a little person. She’s a diva, she’s an instigator, but she’s also the first to apologize when she is in the wrong, and she’s sweet as can be. She gives the best hugs, she made me laugh, and she will always me my little best friend. Getting blessed with the privilege to watch these little people grow, and become their own person, will never be lost on me. Amelia Grace, I love you to pieces!

The day was definitely busy. We were up bright and early, starting to get ready. I washed off the table and chairs, along with all of the sand and pool toys. I picked up the yard, getting all of the toys in their proper place, and cleaning up under the deck. With that, the yard was officially cleaned up and ready go to (minus the decorating). Meanwhile, Christian was cleaning up the entry way and getting the girls some breakfast. I finished up some little last minute cleaning, and started getting the food prepared and dished up, so it would be ready to go. I hopped in the shower and got ready (I was NOT getting screwed into not having time to get myself ready, that’s for sure!). Once I was ready, and had the taco meat cooking, Christian got himself ready, then got to work on the rest of his tasks. While I finished the meat and took care of the girls, he and his friend Lorenzo were off to pick up the cake and balloons, and getting the table cloths and decorations out. We were ready and raring to go when our guests started arriving, which is VERY rare for us. All of the kids had a blast playing in the pool, getting dirty in the sandbox and running around with each other. I’ll admit, I’m not much of a kid person, but I LOVE watching the girls running around and playing with their friends. We had a taco bar…my in-laws brought rice and beans from an authentic Mexican restaurant and it was DELISH! We opened presents, smacked the piñata, had some cake. We had lots of laughs catching up with family and friends. The day was absolutely a complete success. I get so stressed out getting ready for parties, but once they’re over, and I can look back at it, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Lorenzo, Olivia’s BFF/her dad, my in-laws and my dad/stepmom all hung out for quite some time, chatting, having a couple drinks and relaxing in the amazing weather, and helped us clean everything up. It was truly a perfect day, from the weather to the guests and everything inbetween. We are so blessed!

Birthday Party Fun!

Sunday was another busy day. Though, it kicked off perfectly following a great night of sleep. Eliza had a bit of a rough time yesterday, with me being busy running around at the party, and all of the new people, she was just a little overwhelmed (and crabby). She did take a couple of good snoozes though, in her swing in the fresh air. Well, the stress and the fresh air must have just knocked her out because she slept great, all night long. I was able to get up and ready for the day before she woke up! Today was no day of rest for us, because today was Olivia’s BFF Bella’s birthday. The big SIX! Her dad found a place to take them horseback riding, so we were all off and running. The stable provided some lunch as a special birthday treat and then the girls got to brush the horses, learned how to lead them, and then finally got to ride them a little bit. Nothing too crazy, just back and forth a few times. Just getting a feel for it Olivia absolutely loved it. The place we went is actually free to ride, they just ask for donations, so we may need to consider bringing them on occasion. Once we were done, we all made our way back to Bella’s house for some swimming and pizza. Eliza started getting pretty fussy, so she and I made our way home for the night and got in some relaxing. I spent some time un-packaging all of Amelia’s new toys…seriously, what a pain! Every birthday, it’s the same thing. Why do toy companies have to torture parents?!? When the rest of the house arrived home, they took a bath quick, and we stopped across the street at Bella’s mom’s house for some cake and singing. Such a wonderful weekend of celebrating, just perfect!

Until Next Week XOXO

2014 - Week 29

Monday was another pretty quiet day around the house. Eliza still seems off since getting her shots on Friday. She just seems a little extra sensitive, and fussy. Well, I’m hoping it’s from the shots anyway, and that it passes soon. While I wouldn’t change it for anything, the days can be long enough with an infant, but a crabby infant is definitely no picnic. The big girls were home with us for the day. Amelia is still pretty ambivalent to the world of being a big sister. She doesn’t hate it or show any ill feelings towards Eliza, but she also just doesn’t seem to care that she’s around too much either. I guess that’s good…I mean, she doesn’t seem to be jealous or anything, and we don’t have to worry about her doing anything to the baby. Olivia on the other hand is very in love with Eliza. She’s not overly in her face or anything, but she’s been great about helping out, keeping her entertained while I do things, talking to her. She likes having her around…unlike when we brought Amelia home, which I still don’t think she’s accepted. I have caught her trying to pick Eliza up a few times, so we do have to keep an eye on that, and keep reminding her, but overall, she’s doing well with the adjustment. The day was pretty standard…the girls played, and fought, they napped, we ate, Eliza and I had lots of cuddle time. The usual.

Olivia reading to baby

Finally hung the initial letters I received from one of my amazing mom groups

Tuesday was a pretty low key day. I finally brought out our bin of baby toys today. Eliza still doesn’t have much of a grip or anything yet, but she’s starting to show some interest in things. I can’t believe how fast she’s growing…she’ll be beyond baby toys before we know it!

Today's Harvest...yup, ONE cucumber, and ONE zucchini. Things are getting exciting!

Bathing beauties!

Took out the bin of baby toys today!

Wednesday was a pretty rough day. It just seemed like everything was going wrong and everything was building up. It started off OK, Eliza and I taking our almost daily walk over to Walmart to get a few things. She wouldn’t fall asleep for anything today though, and was crabby on top of it, so it was just exhausting. Christian and I have been arguing and getting overwhelmed trying to get ready for Amelia’s birthday party next weekend. With the clingy baby in the house, and his long work hours, we just don’t get much time to get things done/ready. And he has this lovely (probably typical) attitude that everything he “needs” (really, wants) to do is so much more important than anything that I actually NEED to get done (you know, like laundry, grocery shopping, dishes…the little stuff). I get so frustrated. Then with parties he argues with me about every little aspect of the party. Seriously, just let me do my thing! LOL. It was just a really frustrating day, I think everybody was just at the end of their rope today. But, we are pretty excited because the new pool came today. “Amelia’s Present” this year is a big pool for the family, and we wanted to get it here and up in time for her party. The girls don’t know yet, so it will be a fun surprise once it’s up. But, first, Christian has to measure off the area and level the ground off first. Tonight, he did the measurements (it will be 4’ deep and 18’ around). I can’t wait! Also, in even more exciting news, Eliza gave me her first REAL laugh tonight. It was amazing, and it makes up for any bad that could’ve happened throughout the day, for sure.

On our walk - look at those cheeks!!

So beautiful

On Thursday, I woke up during the night needing to pump. I ended up finding Olivia sleeping out on the couch for some reason. When I got up to help Christian get them ready for school, she started crying uncontrollably, yelling that her hands and feet hurt. It was so strange, like she was dreaming or something. Christian took Amelia off to school, and I sent Olivia to her room to rest and see if she felt better in a while. She woke up a bit later, crying again, this time complaining that her legs hurt. I don’t know what was going on with her, but I got her to eat some breakfast, and she started to perk up a bit. I brought her to school and settled back into the house with Eliza for the day. In the afternoon I got a call from school that she woke up from her nap crying, again complaining that her legs hurt, and was running a fever (I think she was just overheated from sleeping and crying though). So, I picked her up. I have no idea what could be going on. She’s complained that her legs hurt in the past, which I’ve attributed to growing pains, but she’s never acted like this before. Hopefully it doesn’t continue. Of course Amelia spotted me picking Olivia up, so she came home with us too, and we all had a pretty quiet night in the house, resting. Christian and his friend Lorenzo started tilling up the ground to level it off for the pool tonight. It looked like quite a task, that’s all I know!

She can sure be trouble, but she sure is cute!

Twinsies!

My Throwback Thursday photo this year...around this time we'd be taking our annual trip to Duluth. We decided to take the year off, not sure how baby would do, and we sure do miss it!

Friday was a better day for everybody. The big girls were home for the day, and Olivia seemed back to normal. She was happy and playing and eating like normal. Hopefully yesterday was just a freak incident. She and Amelia were actually getting along really well today too, which always help. They were playing and reading and taking care of their “babies” together. Eliza actually spent some time on her own today, in the swing and on her mat, and seemed in much better spirits that she has been. Yes, life was grand. I even got to take a nice, long, HOT shower while all of the girls napped, which felt amazing. Nothing like a relaxing shower. We girls had a quiet night in the house while Christian and Lorenzo finished leveling the ground, or so we thought, until they started filling it and all of the water rushed down to one side of the pool. Oops, it’s looking like a much bigger job than anticipated! They’re hoping tomorrow they’ll be able to get it all done, but we’ll see.

I just love that smile!

Saturday was a pretty busy day. The girls and I were off to swim class, while Christian worked on the pool. My mom came to class today, and she took the girls for the day. They were off to a little town festival and hanging out at her house for the day, which was a nice break for me (mostly because they are confined to the house until the pool is up, for the surprise). Eliza and I were off to my coworker, Brad’s sons graduation party. One reason I asked my mom to take the girls…I was off to Minneapolis, in a new area, and going to a party, so I didn’t want to have to keep track of those two on top of everything. A few of my coworkers, including my supervisor, were there, so it was fun catching up with them. They are all certainly pretty anxious for me to return to work. It does feel good to feel missed, and needed, but it doesn’t make the thought of going back any easier. Less than two weeks to go, and it just seems crazy to me. NOT READY! After the party I made my way home. The boys, now with my father in law on hand too, had finally finished leveling the ground, and turned the hose on one more time. This time, success. Everything seemed to be filling evenly and things were looking up. It’s a 4,500 gallon pool, so we had no idea how long it would take to fill, but at least we were on the way. We finally turned the water off around 11:30PM…still had a bit to go, but it was getting there. Thank God, because the girls were like vultures by the door when they got home, trying to sneak a peek outside!

My necklace came today...It's kind of like the "Oragami Owl" line, but I got it from one of those daily deal sites. I treated myself to a little late Mother's Day gift...each of the girls' first initial, and birthstone. LOVE!!

Sunday was finally pool day! Well, back up, first, I have to share the fact that it was daylight out when Eliza woke up today. I couldn’t believe it. Right now, little can compare to a really great night of sleep, that’s for sure. It gives me hope that it won’t be much longer before we’re waking up in daylight every day again! Christian turned the water on again in the morning and after about an hour the pool was finally full and ready to go. We got the girls in their suits and brought them out for the big reveal. They were pretty dang excited, and jumped right in. Though, of course the water was pretty much freezing. They weren’t able to spend too much time in it, but we’re hoping it will be nice and warm for the party next weekend. The rest of the day was spent doing a little picking up, and hanging out around the house. I’m heading into my last full week of leave and man does that break my heart!

Giving the new pool a whirl!

Until next Week XOXO

2014 - Week 28

On Monday, Eliza hit the big 2 Month mark. I can’t believe it’s already been two months!! And boy is she growing like a week. She’s currently wearing 0-3 month clothes, some are still baggy on her, but most fit her well. She’s wearing Size 1 diapers still as well, but I’m not sure that will last much longer. She’s been smiling up a storm lately, eats like a little piggy and “talks” all day long. Some days can be hard, but she’s really the sweetest little thing. She is consistently sleeping for about a 5-hour stretch at night, occasionally longer, which is nice. But, naps are pretty hit or miss. About the only thing I’m looking forward to in regards to putting her in daycare…it should help her get on a better daytime sleep schedule, and she’ll learn to sleep when it’s noisy, which will be great. She’s working pretty hard on her focus and coordination right now, starting to really follow us around the room with her eyes. And, she LOVES to be outside; it seems to put her at ease. Time needs to slow down! Other than that, it was a pretty low key day. The big girls were home with us for the day, but it was a rainy day, so they were stuck inside most of the day. There was a little cabin fever going on, but we all survived. Baseball did get canceled tonight though, which is a bummer, since it’s the last week.

Happy 2 Months!

Twinsies!

Tuesday was a quieter day at home, just me and the babe. Christian met me at KinderCare so we could take an official tour of the infant room. We’ve never had an infant in daycare, so we’re a little first-time-parenty when it comes to it. It will definitely be much different than leaving her with our parents, like with the big girls. However, it does help that we do know the center, the teachers, the director…we know they’ve taken great care of the other two since they started there…and I think that helps a lot, rather than going in blind to a new place. The tour went well. Drop off is definitely going to be more of a hassle, having to fill out her daily sheet and get her bottles unloaded (turns out you have to have their bottles pre-made, which  freaks me out a little. I know we’re going to have to supplement, but I had hope you just send a can of formula and they use it when they need to, but that’s not the case. And if they run out, and baby gets hungry, you have to go get them. AHH!) and all that, but it shouldn’t be horrible. They have a “curriculum” for each stage of infanthood, so it’s nice to know she’ll constantly be learning and working on age appropriate things. She has her own crib, and of course they are a safe sleep center. They also follow some recent guidelines that recommend not using swings, walkers, etc., and let kids “discover” on their own – which is a great theory, but seems strange to me when it comes to the little ones. I mean, she can’t do much on her own other than lay under a mat, which is only interesting for so long, so I’m curious how they handle it when there are several little ones in the room and not enough hands to hold/feed, LOL. They provide formula, which was actually kind of exciting, so when she gets her one bottle a day there, at least it will be “free”, and they provide baby food and all that when we get there. I was planning on making her food, but I think I’ll just do that for at home, and she’ll get Gerber there, again, since we’re paying for it anyway. While we were there, Eliza sat in her carseat with the teachers, smiling away. Overall, everything seems promising and we’re a little more comfortable having actually seen how everything works, but it’s still pretty overwhelming and emotional. After the tour, we picked the girls up from their rooms and made our way home for the night.

Smiles!!

Wednesday was another pretty quiet day. Eliza and I continue to spend our days playing, chatting and working on some baby basics. She still isn’t a great napper most days, and still spends a great deal of time eating. But, I’ve been getting some REAL good smiles from her. Like big ol’, light up her whole face smiles, which are so wonderful. There’s just not much that can warm your heart like a baby’s genuine smile can. We picked the girls up from school and met Christian at baseball for Olivia’s final game of the season. It was our week to bring snacks too, so of course I was a frantic mess trying to make sure we had everything as we ran out the door. I can’t believe the season is over, it went by so fast. Olivia really seemed to enjoy herself, so I’m hoping she’ll stick with it as she gets older. She did really well tonight, getting hits every time she was up to bat, and was so proud of herself. After the game, the kids all got a little participation medal, which they were SO excited about, we had snacks, took some pictures and everybody took off. I already can’t wait until next year, and Amelia is already pretty excited at the thought of playing too. Now we get a little break until the girls start soccer next month. Eliza fell asleep at soccer, and stayed asleep once we were home, so we let her sleep until she woke up. Always a bit of a risk, but I prefer to follow the “never wake a sleeping baby” advice.

Last Day of Baseball Pics!

Thursday was another quiet day. Eliza ended up sleeping until around 3:00 in the morning, which was crazy, but then ended up being awake/eating until around 5:00, which was not so fun. We did finally get back to sleep for a little snooze, so I can’t complain too much. We spent the day cuddling on the couch and hanging out. My big success of the day was getting her nails clipped…while she was awake. I mean, that’s pretty much a miracle! She’s been scratching me like crazy, so that will be a nice relief.

My throwback Thursday photo this week, about 5 years ago, taking Olivia to the zoo for the first time

Friday was a pretty exciting day…first up, Friday marked Christian and I’s 13 year dating anniversary. When we met, I had just graduated high school, and he was no summer break before his Junior year. At my graduation party shortly after, he worked up the nerve to give me a card, with a note in it to “give him a call”…wow, now THAT is very high school. Well, of course, at 18 you do NOT call boys first, so I returned his message, with a thank you card and my number. A few days later he called…but not really, he had his friend call me. Seriously, SO HIGH SCHOOL! We ended up making plans to go to a dance club the following weekend with a friend each. He ended up calling me a couple days later (yes, HE called) and invited me out for an impromptu date to the mall. I had to quick round up a friend for safety, and on July 11, 2001 we went on our first date, to the Mall of America. He and his friend got us lost, even though my friend and I knew exactly how to get there – already your typical men who wouldn’t listen to driving advice. By the time we got there, most of the mall was closing. So we walked around a closed mall. Why I ever went out with him again after that is beyond me, but we never really looked back after that. While it took some time to officially be a couple, neither of us dated anybody else during that time, and it all just kind of fell together. So, here we are, 13 years later. 6 years of dating, almost 7 years of marriage, two well-established careers, a house, 3 kids. Can’t say I saw us where we are now 13 years ago, but I wouldn’t change our journey for anything.

Celebrating 13 Years Together!

In other news, today was Eliza’s 2-month check-up. I dropped the big girls off at my in-laws on the way to the doctor for an overnight (which is extremely rare, so they were beyond excited). Eliza weight in at 12lbs 3 ozs (up 4lbs 5ozs from birth, and at 67% for her age) and she’s 23” long (up 3” from birth, and at 45% for her age). She’s on the bigger side, but happy and healthy as can be. She has a few different infant rashes going on, and some cradle cap, but she should grow out of everything over the next few months. She did have to get an oral vaccine, and three shots, and OH MAN, those did NOT go over well at all. She just screamed her head off, completely miserable. She’s pretty dang dramatic as it is, so you can just imagine how heartbreaking she was post-shots. We made our way home, and I picked her up some Tylenol, just in case. She did get pretty warm and was pretty crabby the rest of the day/night…fussy, not eating or sleeping well…so she did get a couple doses of it. Hopefully it passes quickly. Since the girls were out of the house for the night, and Eliza was a crabby mess, Christian picked up some Thai food on his way home, and we had a mini “24” Marathon (until we passed out pretty much).

On Saturday, we got to sleep in a little (well, sleep was intermittent for me all night) with the girls being off at the in-laws. Eventually, we had to roll out of bed, get ready, and head off to meet my father in-law at swim class. He dropped the girls off and we made our way inside. It was so, so, SOOOOOO hot in there this week. It’s always humid and warm in the observation deck, but it’s been ridiculous the last couple of weeks. I just sweat to death sitting there watching them, it’s miserable. Especially when you’re staring at a nice cool pool that you can’t go in! We made our way home…Eliza was still having a rough day, and I was just feeling hormonal and emotional (and exhausted). I’d had plans of taking the girls over to meet our friend Sara’s new baby, Connor (Olivia’s BFF Bella’s new brother), but I changed my mind and decided to stay home, and sent them down for a nap. Well, Christian convinced me to get out of the house and go over there (it’s across the street), so I finally did (with baby in tote). Eliza was still crabby, and I was still plenty hormonal, but I will say it was nice to get out of the house for a little bit. Once Eliza drove everybody crazy enough, we made our way back home for the a pretty quiet night.

Meeting her new friend

Sunday was a bit of a better day. After a little quiet time around the house, I took the girls over to Sara’s to play with Bella and meet the baby. They didn’t pay too much attention to the baby, but of course were excited to have some playtime. She had a couple friends over, so we all chatted and hung out for a while, trying to keep the girls from destroying the house. Christian and Bella’s dad, Mariano, picked up some lunch for the girls and I, then hung out at our house watching the World Cup finals (yawn). Eliza was still a tad crabby, but wasn’t crying the entire time we were there like yesterday, so that was an improvement. We finally made our way back home and settled in for the night. With Amelia’s birthday party in a couple weeks, it’s really time to buckle down and get working on the house. It’s not in horrible shape, but with the baby here this year, we’ll definitely need more time to get all of the cleaning and shopping done. I sent the girls down to clean up their play room today – more to get them out of our hair, and pulling their weight a little, and they actually did a pretty good job. Still needs some work, but they’re getting better.

Big Sisters

So Pretty!

Until Next Week XOXO