Quiet...

This week is going to be a

quiet

week on the blog.

{or maybe a few}

I am writing this late Monday evening...

and it's already been a

long week!

~

Today the baby came down with

Chicken Pox!

The Dr assured me she will be fine,

and that she will now have

a natural life long immunity

unlike the

long term uncertainty of the shots.

So we have been

spending our time giving a few extra cuddles!

So far she just has a

few spots,

which is normal while being breastfed.

~

My blog will also be quiet for the next few

weeks while I work on healing.

Ever since Christmas eve,

my back just hasn't been doing so great.

Ive been doing stretches

and visiting the chiropractor.

But the pain doesn't want to go away.

Some days I can hardly walk

so Elsie has to carry the baby for me!

~

Shortly after James was born

we discovered I have an extra disk in my back

and the disk above the extra one is

bulged because there isn't enough room.

Plus I have a pretty good case of

scoliosis.

So all that coupled together,

we descided the time has come to have

another

steroid injection.

blah. Not fun.

So Jon will be taking a week off so I

can take it easy and

let the med do it's thing!

There are only so many shots I can have

before we have to do surgery...

and we want to avoid that!!

So, we will be taking it easy here.

Resting,

healing,

Doing our best to enjoy this time.

We will find fun in this difficult time.

We are looking forward to a whole week

of Daddy home.

But first we have to make it through

the next week and a half.

I always try to take care of things myself...

I hate asking for help.

But last week we did have to humbly spend 2 nights

at my parents house

so they could entertain the kids so I

could relax on ice.

And all of last week my sister

had to drive over to my house to

spread blankets on the floor for us to sleep on

{my back can't handle the bed right now!}

because I could drag them out!

So we are praying for a better week...

and if not we will make the best of it

The tough stuff is what makes you grow a little more.

{and puts grey hairs on your head!}

Friday...

Friday again.

This week has been

s.l.o.w.

Probably because we have been on the

count down for Friday

so Daddy will be home

after being gone for 2 weeks!

{He surprised us though and showed up

thursday night!}

~

1. James...playing hide and seek.

We looked for hours

before finding him

in the middle of the living room with

his back exposed!

 2.One of the perks of having a teenage sister

who works at the grocery store,

is being able to text her a pix from the sale ad to

find out if the little local store has what I want!

{They didn't have the pretzels and I wasn't

desperate enough to drive to the

next big town and get them!}

 3. The older kids were pretending the

bathtub was a pool...

so I surprised them and

put Angelina in her little suit

so she could go swimming too!

 4. The kids were thrilled the

baby got to take a

swim too...

and she didn't even have to sit in her

little bath chair!

 5. This week we have had

lots of

Happy Mail in our mailbox!

One day we opened some

ASL flashcards for the kids

and a new wide angle lens for me...

happy, happy!

 6. Our washer is still broken.

usually it's Jon's thing to go the

laundromat...

but, since he was gone for 2 weeks

I had to do it.

So, I cheated and simply dropped it off with the

laundry lady,

and picked up clean, dried and folded clothes

a few hours later.

$35...done for the week

and I didn't even have to lift a finger.

I told Jon I'm in no rush to get a

new washer!

 7. We got a new

phone book in the mail...

so Elsie decided to read it.

She read random numbers out loud until

my head was spinning.

She is funny!

 8. We made Strawberry smoothies

for a snack.

We served them in fancy

china tea cups.

So yummy!

 9. James noticed the new package

of TP sitting in the bathroom.

He took it upon himself

to put it all away...

Love it.

 10. James was helping out

after lunch

by wiping down the counters with a sponge.

Never mind that he was kneeling

in all the food!

 11. I've been having some not-so-fun

back pain lately...

So sometimes I've got

to get creative in keeping little fingers

busy so I can ice my back.

One day I gave them

water and q-tips and had them clean

gunk out of window

ledges.

Kept them busy for a long time!

 12. One night James slept with

his Dirt Bike book.

Wonder what he was dreaming about?

 13. We went to visit my

Grandma yesterday.

She lives just down the road, yet

we hardly ever make it there!

I need to make it a priority.

James loves going to visit there...

it may have something to do with the big box of toys!

 14. Happy little

Angelina smiles...

 15. We were taking

happy pictures to send to Daddy!

And that is the end of our week.

We are hoping for fun

family filled weekend!

Thursday...

My littlest girl

and me.

I think she is the sweetest

little thing.

Some times being a

Mother is tough...

but then these little moments of cuddling,

being silly together and playing

side by side,

completely outweigh the tough stuff.

I know one thing,

I am

Lucky!

Christmas with B...

This may or may not be the

last of my

Christmas related posts...

I don't have any pictures of Christmas

with my family...

{I rely on stealing my sister's pix instead!}

I do still have some fun ones

of our weekend away celebrating

with Jon's out of town family...

perhaps someday I will get around to posting them!

~

A few days before Christmas

we celebrated

Christmas with Grandma B.

She has the bad habit of going a bit over bored

in the gift department...

The gift corner was slightly full...

Grandma B knows we have some major

mashed potato lovers

in our family,

so she makes lots!

Grandma B has a smallish house,

so everyone gets to eat wherever for dinner...

Already Elsie has fond memories of

being able to eat on the couch

with a tv tray!

{that's the only time she ever gets to use a tv tray!}

Sometimes the biggest memories

are from the simplest things!

Since no one else is really into

taking pictures,

I have made it my mission to get a group

shot every Christmas before

gift opening.

The family grew by 2 this year...

well, 3 including the new kitty!

Grandma B and Patrick

with all the grandkids...

6 grandkids...

4 of which have birthdays in a 3 week span!

{just to keep Grandam B on her toes!}

The plan was to have the kids sit together

and open one gift at a time...

but one thing led to the next...

and I'm still not even sure

who gave James what!

Elsie and Angelina are the only girls...

and since Grandma B only had boys too,

I think she has fun buying girl stuff...

Like the big kit of Barbie makeup!!

That barbie makeup was just too much for Elsie...

she had to put a little on...

Oh, okay a LOT on!

Everyone tried not to outright

laugh at all the lipstick on her lips!

Later James sat still so he could also

have a barbie make-over!

The other boys showed no interest,

I guess that's what happens when you have an older sister!

Angelina and her little cousin Grant...

Angelina is about 2 weeks older.

The grandkids keep getting closer and closer...

Elsie is 5 months older than Keegan

James is 4 months older than Wesley

and Angelina and Grant are 2 week apart...

maybe the next two will share a birthday!

{haha}

The evening wrapped up with

a little head flash light fun!

The kids were all running around giggling!

We got home way after bedtime.

The kids were exhausted.

We all had a fun time!

And I spent the next couple days

trying to find places for all the new toys...

3 Months...

Today little

Miss Angelina girl

turns 3 months old!

It blows my mind that she is

that old already!

She is such a sweet and perfect baby...

{I know I'm the mother and should say things like that,

but I am being serious!}

She is a perfect sleeper...

she still sleeps through the night a couple times a week.

She takes nice long naps

and doesn't even wake up when her

brother and sister get too loud!

And when she is awake she is

very contented and playful!

Angelina love to play

pat-a-cake

She giggles every single time

to the point of getting hiccups!

Angelina is a talker...

she loves to talk and be talked to.

If she is crying,

gently talking can calm her down...

she will stare right into your eyes and talk back.

Melts my heart

every.single.time!

And she is quite the cuddler...

she loves to cuddle and rock.

She has a difficult time falling asleep

without rocking!

She still hasn't rolled all the way over yet,

but is getting closer...

she goes way over on her side and pulls...

{take your time, baby girl, take your time!}

Last week she learned how to

reach!

She will stare at a toy,

get stiff with excitement,

let out a little squeal then

stick her arm out to reach!

Too cute!

The kids love it,

so has toys shoved in her face pretty much

every waking moment!

In a few weeks 

Angelina has an appointment

with a specialist in town

about her jaw.

She has a "clicking, tight jaw"

Her Chiropractor thought it was best if she gets

it medically examined,

so hopefully

all will be fine.

She is growing and eating fine,

so that is a good sign!

She is growing so good,

that before long she will be in

9 month clothes!

{crazy!}

I love all her little baby-ness...

her gently coos,

her sigh of pure contentment when nursing,

the way she holds my finger in a light

clutch while I am nursing her.

Her little happiness noise,

her belly giggle...

Someday I will miss all that...

all too soon she will be a

big girl and not a cuddly little

baby.

I am cherishing all these little moments...

I will end this post with a

behind the scenes...

because I wouldn't want you to think taking nice

pictures is quite as

perfect as the top pictures

might make it seem!

"Is my hand in the way, mom?"

"why, no son, not at all!"

"Am I in the way here, mom?"

And then there is Elsie snapping

over 30 pictures during that little

5 minute photo shoot...

"so I can instagram them"

so says my 5 year old...

{please tell me I'm not the only one with a

5 year old who thinks to photograph things

to instagram!}

Like I said,

they aren't little for long...

so cherish the baby days,

all too soon they will be stealing your phone to

instagram!