Four

Can you count them?

So...many...new...nicknames...

Easter 2014

 Being in Arizona for Easter meant the girls went to bed around 6:30 pm (thanks to good 'ol time change and time zones) so they didn't get to go to the Easter vigil with us.  So, being determined that they would wear those dresses, if only long enough for pictures, here they are!

 

Ok, not bad, but Sam, I need you to smile nice, please.

Smile nice without the gum.

SAM! That is not smiling nice!  Yoohoo!  Charlotte!!

Ooook, close...Chatlotte, you are such a goob...

Nice Sam! Don't move! CHARLOTTE!!

Ok, I guess the first picture will have to do...

HAPPY EASTER!

Cousins

It's so hard to get a still shot of Olivia these days.  She'll be walking before 10 months, I'm sure of it!

Kahlan (4) and Olivia (8 months), Samantha (almost 5) and Charlotte (6 months)

The Perfect Storm

My parents and little sister are sick and have been since Saturday (my back-ups). H is sick and I have to practically guard the front door to make sure he doesn't try and drag his fever-ridden self to school or the store and spread the "love".  Jeremy is currently in the ER because he got sick too and became dehydrated due to a lack of a large intestine.  Charlotte's baby sitter's husband is sick, so Charlotte is just a ticking time-bomb as far as getting sick. 

Sam is on her 5th round of the Frozen soundtrack as we are waiting for Charlotte to wake up so I can take her to school (never mind she just lost that due to ignoring me for the millionth time).  She needs to go to school as I have no patience for her energy right now (like sprinting in the living room back and forth, leaping over a stepstool in the middle of the room landing like a gymnist or standing on her head on the couch and flinging her legs back and forth from the wall to the couch overandoverandoverandoverand- I finally sent her outside). 

Charlotte is greeting me every hour on the hour at night and has been since I posted that she's been sleeping well...because I should have known better and not told the world that she was sleeping.

I finally said "I give up" and called in for a personal day.  Which is why I'm on my computer.  A teacher taking a personal day is as much work as it is to just go to work.  Which I will be doing anyway because I have to drop off stuff for the sub that I can't send electronically. 

All I can think about is how much I want to crawl into my bed and sleep for longer than 90 minutes...

**updated**
for my own sanity I have to express my disbelief somewhere...I guess H was sicker than he was letting on and puked last night but didn't make it to the toilet...and then tried to hide clean it up with toilet paper and hand soap.  But he forgot the puked on rug that he'd tossed into the tub and didn't notice the puked soaked towels and robes on the wall...and didn't think to move the items that he'd puked around and get under them either.  I about blew a gasket when I realized that I'd sat Charlotte down on the floor with her blanket and binky...on the floor that he'd puked on and cleaned up with TOILET PAPER.  He later apologized saying he did some internet research and realized that he had been doing everything wrong to take care of himself (like chugging hot water he had boiled while he was nausous...my only guess is he thought the hot water would kill the germs in him??) and had put Charlotte in a lot of danger too.
End rant.  I need to get to bed and pray pray pray that I can avoid this bug.

Hmmmm

Everything is juuuuuust out of reach....what to do what to do....

6 months

 Charlotte,
I'm not sure how, but it seems the calendar is wrong.  It insists that you are 1/2 a year already.  But that just can't be true.  I distinctly remember your sister and aunts being much older at 6 months (albiet smaller).  Maybe it's because I wanted them to grow up and I'm ok with you being my baby.  I swear I'm trying really hard right to enjoy you as you are and soak up every second with you.  Although you find it boring Wednesday evenings when Daddy, and H are at Godteens and Samantha is with Mimi, I really enjoy our one-on-one time together. 
Also, I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that you needed your space at night.  I was over compensating a little, trying to make up for the sleeplessness I inflicted on your sister with my crazy ideas and struggle for a routine that I ended up going to the other extreme and made the nights long and restless for the both of us.  Although you whined about it for about 5 mintues the first night, I can tell you like being able to fling your arms around, arch your back in your sleep and not have me wake you up by trying to feed you.  I wish you hadn't inherited our family's tendancy to talk/cry/laugh in your sleep, but at least you come by it honestly on both sides. 
I'm so proud of you for sticking with me when we worked on sitting up.  Isn't it awesome?!  I know you wish your arms were longer so you could reach everything in the room, but if you would just allow yourself to roll over you'd discover the freedome and ability to explore that you so badly want. 
And I'm not sure who was more excited about you joining us at the dinner table, Samantha or you.  At first I'd have to say your sister, but now that you get to participate in the ritual that is of digesting solid foods, I'd have to say you might have her beat.  You still don't care for avocado, but most of the squash and sweet potatoes makes it into your stomach.  I'm sorry that I don't have the time or energy to make your foods like I did for Sam, but since you are only waking up three times at night now, who knows what may happen on the weekends! This summer I promise to make it for you at least once.
Oh how I wish I could bottle up the joy your smile brings to everyone around you.  You are so eager to smile to everyone and you already have the perfect comic timing.  Someone will smile to say hi to you and juuuust when they think you're going to cry you bust out an ear to ear slobbery grin. Then everyone melts.  It's so precious.
If I could request one thing.  I'm so proud of you for finally learning to use your arms when you are on your belly.  However, if you could maybe use some of your arm and leg muscle to help out somewhat when you are being held, you would save my back and so many trips to the chiropractor.  I may as well be carrying around a 16 lb sack of potatoes with arms reeeeeeeeeeeaching for whatever I walk by. I'm glad you trust me so much to know I'll make sure you don't fall, but a little assistance would be much appreciated. 

Love,
Ma-mamamamama

Classic wide-eyed arm flap.  Cracks Sam up every time.



Why we won't be taking pictures on the papysan anymore.