daddy day.

All he wanted to do was nothing today. Hang out at home and just be.

I'm down with that.

So, we had family over, grilled steaks, ate well, and relaxed.

All in our new home. It made my heart happy.

So does this picture.

Happy Daddy Day!

berry pickin' fun.

I want to come to this little space and share about our new home that I'm absolutely loving. And tell you how big Lincoln is getting. But instead, I'm popping in really quick to share some super sweet berry picking pictures from the other day. We spent the weekend out of town with close friends and family, it was just what we needed after going non-stop for a week on unpacking and getting our home in order. Even though it was 90 degrees out, we had a great time picking strawberries and blueberries on Sunday afternoon, sort of on a whim. Fresh berries are SO much better than store bought. Oh my. 

Haha. Yup, that's what I did pretty much the whole time to keep Linc out of the sun. 

Cousin love. These two, I tell you what. 

Evidence. 

Check out the stained fingers. She worked hard!

Oh, I do hope to come back and share about the house! I'm just so, so tired right now. Any extra minute I have I'm usually painting, or unpacking, or organizing, or maybe just maybe I get a little sleep in there too.

one month.

I know mustaches are a big fad right now, but I don't care. I have a BOY and I like the fad, so I bought some sweet months 'stache stickers via Etsy. 

And since I'm joining in on a fad, let me sound all cliche too and say ohmahgah, where did the last month go?!

Here's a little about Linc at one month old...

The rolls are starting to form. This kid can eat. Like all the time. I couldn't tell you how often he eats or how long he sleeps, because I very, very rarely look at a clock. I just feed him when he needs to be, it's been nice not to feel like he has to fit to a certain time schedule like the baby books say. He is becoming aware of sounds--I absolutely love when he stares right at me when I talk to him. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I think his eyes may remain blue. The consensus seems to be that he looks like my side, but I think he is another good mix of both of us. He LOVES to be worn, which is a good thing, since I need to be hands free a lot for the other two littles. He likes to be swaddled, but I get lazy with it and usually just put him on his belly, which is his favorite sleeping position. He loves bath time, not a peep out of him while he is being sprinkled with water. Overall, he is an easy going baby, I don't think he really has a choice in this matter being the third, but you know. 

He is such a stud. 

His sisters adore him. Audrey has the gentle touching down, Naomi on the other hand is still learning how to go in for a kiss without head-butting him. This is usually what happens...

Happy One Month to my little Linc also known as Buster 

(for no reason at all, I just started calling him that)!

P.S. I started cloth diapering again--how adorable is that Flip Albert diaper in the last picture?!

the weekend.

I love extra long weekends, especially when you start without really any plans and they slowly fill up with good, relaxing times. On Friday evening we went to our local pool opening, which was crazy, but it had free food. And I'm always about food, especially free. Saturday began with our tradition of garage sales and farmer's market. All five of us (hard to believe we are now a family of five!) pile in our van, which Audrey calls Rocket, and head out early in the morning. The girls stay in the van till the last garage sale, where they get to choose a little something to buy. Then off to the market. I know I've talked about it before, but our market is so fun, inviting, and full of interesting people. We can't leave without kettle corn popcorn, visiting the parrot man, and playing in the fountain.

 That Ariel toy is what she scored at the garage sale for 50 cents. She hasn't put it down yet. 

 Don't be fooled, that girl sat right down in the water and was soaked in no time at all. 

Linc hung out in the sling the entire time. I remember when I bought this one (off of Etsy) and was dreaming about the day I would wear him in it. And now it's here. 

The rest of the weekend was pretty much spent out on the lake, boating. One of my very favorite past times since childhood. I'm thankful my dad has a boat that we can readily use, one day we hope to have a boat of our own. Being that it was incredibly hot and Linc isn't big enough for a life-jacket, Andrew and I took turns staying home with him, while the other when on the boat with the girls. Which brings me to the point, that little dude is taking a bottle! About once a day we have been giving him a bottle so that he continues to do well with it. My girls very rarely got a bottle and didn't really like it, so this time around I introduced earlier and more regularly. Andrew loves the bonding time and I like the very small break. Win win!

Hope your weekend was lovely! I definitely didn't let it go by without remembering those who are serving and those who have served. 

strawberry shortcake festival.

I love starting traditions with the kiddos. I think traditions and {birthday} parties are two of my favorite things I love about being a mom. There is something special in coming to expect. I love looking back at old photos and reliving the moment in my head; thinking about that silly facial expression or the way the food tasted that day. 

Today we went to our town's annual Strawberry Shortcake Festival. It was cooler than usual for this time of year, but the sun was shining bright and the sight of kids frolicking around to the music was warmth to my heart. We had one big strawberry shortcake with three spoons. Audrey went for the whipped cream, Naomi loved the strawberries and ice cream, and I just devoured whatever was left. Lincoln was snug and so content in my Sleepy Wrap (it's like a Moby). 

We have had a couple of roller coaster days with our home we are trying to close on, so this fresh air was just what I needed. We were hoping to close tomorrow, but now it looks like it will be May 25. This journey with the house reminds me of my pregnancy and birth journey---I have to continue to let go and let God. 

Audrey was in the middle of saying "Shoot!" 

Naomi was intrigued by the birds above. 

You can see Audrey's first Strawberry Shortcake Festival here. {2009}

I think 2010 was rained out. 

You can see Naomi's first Strawberry Shortcake Festival here. {2011} 

reflection.

We are on day nine of our family growing to a family of five. But I feel like it's been two months already. In a good way, a really good way. I'm sitting here blogging in the afternoon because all three are napping (whoa).  This is my first full solo-parenting day and I'm happy to report there has been no melt-downs (yet), not even by me. We even made banana bread.

 I woke up this morning and realized it was going to be all in my attitude. And that has helped  me so much. Patience and grace today that's been my motto. Don't get my wrong, this parenting gig to three kids 3.5 years and younger isn't easy. I have some demanding bosses, but they also teach me so much about love and forgiveness and just being, that I wouldn't trade this job for anything.

Yeah, I'm incredibly tired. Linc [isn't that cute?] went through a growth spurt Saturday and Sunday, and I swear that kid was trying to gain a full pound each day with his crazy nursing. Last night was another good nights rest though, I'm so thankful for that.

Some SOCC shots, 6 days old. 

He's nine days old, and I've already learned so much about him. He is pretty laid back--cries/grunts when he is hungry and doesn't like to get his diaper changed. He enjoys sleeping on his belly on our chest. Likes to be rocked [my girls didn't really like it, they were very independent sleepers from early on]. Loves to be swaddled, but keep his arms out. His hands are usually always touching his face when he sleeps. Does well in the car, unless he gets hungry. He has already been to quite a bit of stores, church, and the park. [None of which I did alone. I'm still hesitant to take all three out alone. Ha.] He is just so sweet and snuggly.

his birth story. a love letter.

Dear Lincoln Wayne,

You are here. You graced my arms just yesterday and your body conformed to mine just like you were still inside me. You were work buddy, hard laborious work, but well worth it. Right when I wanted to give up, I kept saying out loud "my baby is coming, my baby is coming." You were my motivation, I wanted to lock eyes with yours. And we did.

Only moments after you were born. 

You have already taught me so much. From the day we found out we were pregnant with you to these last 24 hours. See, I'm a planner. I like to know what my future holds and have control of it. You were a surprise pregnancy {which I'm so incredibly grateful for}. From that moment of seeing those two pink lines, I had to let go of how I thought things should go and embrace the beauty that was to come. You reminded me that faith will get us through. My pregnancy wasn't perfect, we had ups and downs and lots of extra monitoring. In fact, that's why you came two weeks early, because the uncertainty of things. Your fluid dropped very low and it was highly recommended to induce the next day. That night as we prepared for you to arrive, knowing that it wasn't what I was planning or hoping for, I held onto faith. Because I knew God had a plan for you to come just the way He wanted. I repeated to myself 'hold me Jesus.' I had no idea what to expect with induction, but I was told that certain things would probably take place and it could possibly end in a c-section because of your low fluid could cause distress on you. I did accept that fact, but I also was confident that you would come the exact way you should, I was trusting my body to God.

My son, you did so wonderful during labor. Not once did you become distressed. When I arrived at the hospital I was already 4cm and contracting pretty consistently. Boy, you were already coming on your own! "Induction" started at 9:15am on Saturday, April 28, when my water was broke. And that was it. It was you, me, and God the rest of the way. {Along with the help of your daddy who cheered us on the entire way, and your Great Aunt Steph and Aunt Hannie also helped.} We didn't even need Pitocin, and miraculously I made it through the entire labor med-free, no epidural! The only thing we needed, or should I say, I  needed was a fountain coke. And Doc gave me approval to have one just minutes before I pushed! One of my best sodas I have ever tasted. You let me know you were ready to come out and I was sure to let everyone in the room know, ahem. And in 4 minutes of pushing, I was holding you in my arms, at 1:14pm. The doctor was thoroughly impressed with how well labor went. We knew we had our King to thank for that.

Your daddy can hardly believe he has a son. I'm just going to warn you now, that he has lots of plans for you to play sports. You were born with really long skinny feet and big hands, I'm looking forward to seeing where they take you. Your sisters are already smitten for you. Okay, well your biggest sister, Audrey is. She dotes on you and holds you so gently. She made sure you had your bear blanket to sleep with before bed. Your other sister, Naomi, just a mere 18 months older than you, is pretty much ready to play tackle. You may have already been accidentally kicked in the head with her rain boot too. But your a boy, you can handle it, right? I think she will be a good match, watch out. And me? Well, I'm taking every single moment in with you. You are most likely my last pregnancy, my last squishy newborn. I've already closely traced all around your sweet little ears, wrinkly long fingers, soft pink lips, and etched them in my forever memory.

 In your "going home" outfit. Pretty darn cute. 

Thank you for joining our family. And making us a family of five.

Our first family picture as five. Buddy, let me remind you, this wasn't even 24 hours after birth, so your mama is still slightly tired in this pic. Ahem. 

I love you to the moon and back. 

Your Mama, xoxo