What's new?

Well, what's new?  ... let's see ... our baby boy ... Elyse's baby (Star, a stuffed giraffe that's all the rage) ... Emily's eye teeth ... this crazy 6 week paternity leave that is spoiling me! ... Where to start.  My three children are changing faster than the speed of light, it seems, and I could probably attribute it to the fact that I am still somewhat in a fog.  I have asked my husband if we will ever feel rested again.  Is it really possible?  Then, deep in the recesses of my mind, I dig out the memory of what it is like when that sweet child sleeps through the night for the first time ... when my baby's naps became seamless and predictable.  I have to cling to the promise of that day, or I think I might just commit coffee abuse for the duration of my life.

Here's the scoop on us:

Jakob

He weighed in at 9lbs, 11oz at his two week appointment, and I always feel a bit of relief to know that my babies are gaining weight.  I'm sad that he only got to wear certain newborn clothes once, but I love his chub more!  He is eating great, and his night sleep is going VERY well.  He hasn't made it longer than 4.5 hours between feedings yet, but he is good at going right back to sleep.  He still has a patch or two a day of just plain old fussiness, but the patches seem to be diminishing a little.  Perhaps it's normal for the "third" baby, but he is pretty consistently taking naps on his own already.  Could be attributed to the fact that Mommy and Daddy are busy tending to toddlers, but I still take advantage of cuddling him for a nap or two here and there when I can.  I know he's going to grow up all too fast, and I want to keep him little forever... in a way :)  Right now, Jake is only able to take 30-40 minutes of being awake at a time.  Crazy, huh?  He sure loves his sleep and his food, and that's okay if it makes him happy!  He is more alert and active when he is awake, which is fun.  The girls adore being around him, and Emily is usually close by saying, "Hey, buddy! Happy dirday, buddy! (for happy birthday) Hey, baby broder!"  Each phrase is said in her best mommy voice, too.  MELTS. MY. HEART.  Elyse loves being around him as well, kissing, hugging, patting, ... whatever.  Both girls just adore him, and it does this mama's heart good to see that!

Sweet sweet sleep!

Just had to capture the saggy cheeks!!!  SO KISSABLE!

Doesn't his expression seem a bit devious?  He did have a blowout on the way to church, so perhaps he was plotting...

I love the squishy face.

Emily

Em is on the verge of cutting her fourth eye tooth, and she is usually seen walking around sucking on her index finger.  I feel badly for her, as we've been through this with the other big teeth.  No fun!  She is still my early bird, and I usually wake up these days to her singing in her bed or saying, "Lee!  LEE!" (for Elyse).  It is quite funny, though, when Elyse is still asleep or just refuses to answer.  Em just keeps getting louder!  Emily is really into singing happy birthday to everything - even bites of her food.  Her version: "happy dirday to to, happy dirday to to..."  It's pretty fun.  Honestly, her vocab isn't awesome, but she seems to be getting more words down, and it's a good thing Jordan and I have gotten "decent" at interpretation, because to the average joe most of what she says is pretty hard to understand.  She is uncannily good at puzzles and dealing with small objects, but she still can't seem to drink out of a cup without spilling it.  Food for thought :)  She has the sense of humor of a MUCH older child, and we are in constant amazement at how fun she is.  She loves to laugh and smile (when she's not in the throw of a tantrum, which happens a bit more often these days), and nothing suits her better than an audience.  I often find her spinning circles in the living around a certain toy that she has set on the floor.. dancing to random music.. cuddling her dolls.. reading.  She is the girl of many hobbies!  My new favorite is her "yes" which is an enthusiastic "YEP - E - DOE!"  Whenever she gets something special, she yells/laughs "Oh BOY!"

Poor Jakob :) 

I've never used the word "gentle" so often.  So thankful that they love him so much.

Elyse

This child is 3 going on 10 it seems.  Her imagination is crazy, and she loves to ask about whether or not monsters are real, etc..  it's pretty fun.  I love hearing her converse.  She loves to talk with Em and explain things to her.  You know, the deep questions in life, like why Emily isn't allowed to sit on the big potty yet, or why she has to wear certain shoes.  She is my little mother hen, and I do love what a helpful spirit she has.  She loves to look in on Em if she's crying or needs help, and she is really sad when Jakob's crying for some reason.  She loves to set the table (we find stuff all over!) and help with cleaning around the house.  She pretends to go to the hospital (hostable) several times a day to have her baby (Star), and she loves when we "go" with her :)  Some of her recent funnies: Elyse said when she gets older, she wants to shave her head and her armpits.  Hmm!  I heard Elyse talking about poo at the table (not our first choice for dinner conversation), so I told her talk about something else.  She responded with, "Well, we always have to do things we don't like, Mommy."  Smarty pants :)  It is so hard not to laugh.  Getting straight answers out of this girl is nearly impossible.  She uses lots of these types of phrases: "Well, maybe, . . . " and finds a great way to either embellish the information or avoid the question all together.  AND, she has awesome facial expressions to go along with her fascinating stories.  She calls us "sweetie" or "honey" all the time, and once in a while I will remind her I'm MOMMY, but most times, it's just plain funny.  I love this stage SO MUCH!!!!

Elyse got to give Jake part of his first bottle the other day!  She loved it :)

US

Well, I am just loving having my husband home right now!  I especially needed him this weekend when I started fighting some bug... fever and sniffles, but he took care of us all like a champ.  He is genuinely enjoying the household pace we keep these days, and I am thankful for the change of pace he can have.  Seriously, this guy is never NOT doing something, so it is nice to see him nap every once in a while, and we've enjoyed watching movies when we can, or just enjoying time together outside of "date night."  Times like this make me appreciate so much how hard he works for us.  Staying at home is such a privilege I have because it's important to him, too.  Though it's not easy by any stretch of the imagination, he works so hard to make it possible.  I'm glad he can have a break from his 8-4:30 job and just focus on serving in our church and enjoying his family for three more weeks.

I do believe that even this busy stage of life has drawn us closer together.  I can see how it could potentially drive a couple apart, but we have both realized how much we need God's grace to get through this intact.  That, in turn, drives us together.  I'm so thankful for a husband that loves being a daddy, and I'm thankful that he loves being a husband, too :)  I laugh when I am reminded of the conversation we had 10 months ago in Minnesota when that silly little PLUS SIGN showed up on my pregnancy test.  Jordan's just as supportive now as he was then.  Yes, I admit, if I had my choice at the time, we'd be welcoming a baby into our family a bit farther down the road, but this was God's path for us, and I am seeing that it's seriously PERFECT.  We are tasting firsthand the goodness of God and the love of his children... Our church family has showered us with meals and gifts when we've needed them the most.  Jakob, I can't wait to tell you someday how we have seen God's grace in your little life already!  We love you, little man!

Nothing like bath time!