Grant's Blessing

While our family was here for graduation, we decided to have Grant's blessing day to make the weekend extra special.

 

Sam gave a beautiful blessing. Grant woke up, spit out his pacifier and quietly looked at Sam the whole time. He really wanted to hear what his daddy had to say.

 

Philip, Mike, Sam and Grandpa with the man of the day!

 

I love my forever family.

Grant wore the outfit that Sam wore for his blessing day. He sure looked handsome!

This was our last Sunday in the Logan Ward. It was such an emotional farewell. We have been blessed to know so many amazing people in Philadelphia. We will miss it like crazy!

Two Months Old

Grant is two months old now and as cute as can be!

 

His sisters just love him to pieces.

 

 

He is smiling more and more but it's hard to know what will make him smile. He was smiling while I was taking these pictures but I only caught one on video.

He's been pretty fussy since we've been in Arizona. I think the whirlwind weekend of graduation/sightseeing/blessing/travelling really took it's toll on the poor guy.

He loves to be held. It's hard to put him down when he's asleep because he often wakes right up. I think he's officially spoiled. We'll have to do some real sleep training when we get situated in our new life. Until then, I'll try and enjoy the cuddles while I can.

 



He's growing well but is pretty small,  just like the girls. He weighed 10 lbs. 6 oz. (19th percentile). at the appointment he had the week before we left.

He loves to be outside. We've been sitting outside in the afternoons and he coos and smiles while the wind blows.

We sure love our little guy!

Graduation

On May 17, 2013, we celebrated the culmination of four years of hard work. Sam graduated from dental school! I got emotional at least 34 different times during the ceremony. I'm just so dang proud of all of his hard work!

 

Abby and Clara got to walk on stage with him while he received his diploma. They were quite a hit!

 

We kind of ran out of time to take pictures after the ceremony so we did a reenactment.

 

A big thanks to my parents, my brother and Sam's brother Mike and family for coming out for the special day!

On Motherhood

I wish there was somebody to take a picture of me at Target the other day. I was pushing the giant triple cart, carrying/dragging two 30 gallon storage containers that wouldn't fit in my cart while attempting to try on shoes. At the end of my shopping trip, I had to hand the dressing room attendant a stack of clothes that I wanted to try on because 2/3 kids were crying and it was just time to go. I was frustrated that things weren't going the way I wanted. It's hard enough to get out of the house. But then, it hit me like a ton of bricks:

This is your life.
This is the life you wanted.
When you chose to be a mom, you chose to make sacrifices--like not getting new clothes and not getting to do things how and when you want.

I felt adequately chastised. Despite what it feels like sometimes, my children aren't trying to torture me. They aren't out to sabotage my wardrobe. They're just kids, being kids.

Being a mom is tough. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar! But, being a mom is rewarding beyond description. My children bring me more joy then I ever thought possible.

It's not always easy but it is always, always worth it.

Preschool Graduation

Abby had a little graduation ceremony with her preschool class. They marched in, sang songs and told about their favorite parts of preschool. Abby said her favorite part was reading books.

 

I got a little emotional during it all, thinking about Sam's upcoming graduation and how big my Abby is getting.

 

 

I'm so glad we did this little preschool group. I didn't love teaching when it was my turn but it was such a good experience for Abby and it was nice to have some special time with Clara when Abby was away. Totally worth it!

Carnival 2013

The carnival came to town again and we were all just itching to go. Once we saw the sign that it would be coming, Abby asked me at least 65 times a day when we were going to the carnival.

We got wrist bands for both of the girls and a few extra tickets for the rides that needed an adult.

 

We went on the big slide several times. It's always a favorite.

 

 

The girls liked this little obstacle course. Poor Clara had a hard time getting up this little climbing wall but she persevered and made it up. It was pretty cute!

I had fun taking the girls on the Ferris Wheel. We stopped at the top and Abby said, "I'm not sure about this."

Both girls were brave and went on every ride they could.

We had a blast! It was fun to do one of our favorite Philly activities one more time.

Confessions of a Breastfeeding Mom: Part 2

Mastitis.

If you don't know what Mastitis is, consider yourself lucky. I've gone ahead and provided a handy link for those of you who aren't familiar with the term. I was sure to find one that was family-friendly. The first link I came across had a pretty gruesome photo.

Essentially, mastitis is the result of a clogged milk duct leading to an infection: high fever, chills, aches, tenderness, redness etc.

I am now suffering from the symptoms of mastitis for the second time this week and the fifth or sixth time since Grant was born. Luckily, I've been able to clear the clogs before the infection has become full-blown, like in previously mentioned gruesome photo.

Sadly, the first time I experienced the symptoms this week was on Sunday, our sixth anniversary. We all stayed home from church so Sam could take care of me. He was amazing, as usual.

I thought I was certainly in the clear but I had another fever last night and the clog appears to be on the other side this time. Apparently, each bout of mastitis makes you more likely to have another. Awesome.

Guys, I just want to have a pleasant nursing experience. The universe seems to be working against me. However, that makes me even more determined to keep at it. You can't beat me universe!