Aidrian is 6 weeks

Holy cow! I seriously cannot believe little missy is already 6 weeks old! It seems only yesterday I was counting down to my induction and still miserably pregnant! Look at that cute face...

Aidrian is still the sweetest baby, loves to be held, wrapped up, loves the outside especially in the evening when the sun isn't so bright and hot and has taken a fancy to her passy. We are learning the tricks to get her to sleep, juggling our own nightly routine and figuring this 3 kid thing. I'd say we are doing pretty good, but it is very tiring. I've forgotten how hard it is to find sleep with a newborn and having two others doesn't make it any better, but I wouldn't trade them for the world.
The kids still adore her, worry about her, kiss her, smother her, and are always willing to help me out. Some people say she looks like Travis, some say me, some say Kaylin and others say Ethan, so my conclusion is that she has her own little look and that she looks like another little clarkey baby.

Friendsies

My friend Melanie and her fam are here for a few weeks...here's a pic of their daughter Mya, she loves babies! She's 2 and really great with Aidrian... Here's Mel holding Aidrian.
and my friend Kenda...

it's always fun at grandma's house...

Why do I alwasy title my posts with a song? Anyway...we went up to my parents house last Sunday to see my cousin Rachel and her fam (they are moving to GA) and also Ang and Andrew were there too...Sadly I don't have any pics of Rachel and her fam, they were traveling all day. But I'll get some on here, I promise!

Travis took Ethan and Lily on a walk...

Lily just loves her cousin Ethan. They were having fun playing in the hall...

Aidrian sleeping in Grandma's arms after a long day... :)

The birthday boy! Didn't have much for the occassion but he couldn't escape getting sung to!

Me and my sweet babes...

Grandpa holding Aidrian...she's totally passed out!
Now I have to mention that while we were there, it starting raining cats and dogs! The wind started blow--little did we realize how hard it was actually blowing! Angie, Rachel and I were staring out the window commenting on swaying trees when one actually snapped and went down. I'm not talking a small tree by any means, it was a huge one right by mom and dad's deck. It went to the left and took many trees down with it! Thankfully it did not fall into the house, that would have been devastating! It was amazing!

I'm so Pretty!

I want to get pictures of my kids' faces really close up to frame in my house. It was cloudy and was the perfect time to try...of course when we walked outside, the sun came out and Aidrian started fussing...BUT I got some great ones of Kaylin!

The ones of Kaylin crack me up because you need to know I don't tell my kids to do anything--I don't even say Cheese anymore! Kaylin got this sudden flare to be a model (which I have no idea how or who she got this from!!) Ethan did not like the sun in his eyes (it always makes him sneeze!) and Aidrian wanted to be wrapped up and cuddled to sleep...oh well!

The many faces of...

"hello mom" "talking"
"who's there!?"
"that was exhausting!"
"look at my cool mohawk!"

Aidrian is 5 weeks now! She's getting chubbier arms and legs, it's so cute. She's more alert now and I think she actually gave me a genuine smile today at church. She's such a happy little thing, loves to be held, is quite nervous when she hears Ethan approaching and then gets kissed to death! (I find all sorts of things in her hair...cheetos, juice, pretty much anything Ethan eats during the day!) She can sleep through all the noise though, when she's in a deep sleep, so that's nice.
I have two great helpers and they love her to death. Ethan calls her Baby Aidrian Bumblebee and will sing her own song about her being a bumblebee (no she doesn't get smashed at the end!) And Kaylin makes her voice go quite high and soft singing Twinkle Twinkle. She sure brings a lot of joy in our home....

They say it's your Birthday!

I had a wonderful, relaxing birthday this year! The Clarke cousins took theolder kids for the day so I had some peace and quiet! Went out to lunch to my favorite lunch resturant, O' Charleys with Britt Butler (we share the same b-day!) Did some shopping and relaxing all afternoon with Aidrian. When Travis and the kids came home we ate dinner and then I got a yummy Coldstone cake for dessert! (look at Kaylin's cute face blowing!)
After that, we put in a chick flick and relaxed on the couch!
All in all, I was one happy birthday girl! Lots of fun presents from Travis and a nice break from the crazies...what more could I ask for?
Thanks for all the birthday calls, emails and texts! You guys were great and totally made my day! LOVE YOU ALL

Father's Day!

We had a great Father's Day! Woke up a tad late for church, so the festitvities had to wait till after church! Kaylin sang with the Primary in church "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home" and it was quite cute. When we got home she told Dad to "sit on the stairs and wait for a surprise!" The plan was to let him relax on the couch while we made him lunch. We opened presents and the many cards Kaylin persisted on making and buying. Needless to say he was a very loved daddy. When we want a picture together, Ethan is the picture taker. I'd say he's pretty good!

My husband is the greatest dad...completely unselfish, loving, devoted, compassionate, fun and playful, peacemaker, sincere and caring. I love you!!!

We had my parents and also the Clarkes over for a yummy BBQ dinner. Mom made some delicious salads and Travis is a perfect cheeseburger maker! Below is the pic of the Clarkes boys...

"Paka" is the greatest Dad...fun-loving, selfless, giving, generous, scary, a teaser, wise, playful and loves being a paka!
Me and my dad. Can you see Kaylin in the background sitting in the chair and putting her feet up on the table? And Aidrian is pulling some face...I'll post cute ones of her below this post...My dad is the greatest dad...he is the most generous, kind, loving, patient, wise, trusting, caring, selfless and baby lover I know! Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful Dad's in my life!

My Girlies

This pictures is hilarous!! Travis and I died laughing! I don't know what to call it... a pirate? Anyway, it was too funny not to post!But this is what baby girl looks like most of the time when she's awake. Looking around, checking everything out with her little hands going everywhere. When she's tired she thinks she's starving, but she's not. All we have to do is wrap her up like a mummy (despite her protesting) plug her with her passy and she's out in 2 minutes. But if she had a choice she would always be held! (especially when chaos erupts at our house!)
Me and Kaylin on Father's Day...she's such a cutie.
Did you notice I cut my hair??? My brave sister Angie agreed to my pleadings and did a fab job! Still getting used to the shortness, but liking it in all this heat and humidity! It's nice to have a change every now and then right?

Lightning Storm

Last night we had a huge lightning storm! You might not believe it, but the first pic below is actually at 9:30pm and the lightning is literally lighting up the whole sky! This is a pic of the dark with the lightning farther away...
It did end up raining cats and dogs after the "light show" and the wind blew like crazy!

3 weeks

Sweet baby Aidrian at 3 weeks old awake, alert and happy. Another Sunday...

Lily's Birthday!

My cute little niece Lily just turned 1! (my sister Angie's baby) So we went down to Macon, GA for the day. We got her those poofy chairs and she loved it. The stroller and baby were a hit too! She even ate her cupcake! I was impressed! We then went over to their pool. It was an Olympic size pool with a great kiddie area and on the other end a slide. Of course Travis and the kids were there at first glance and spent most of the day there. The first time Ethan was pretty nervous, but then he'd go down all by himself! Kaylin was very brave too and she is doing great at learning how to swim!


This is Travis watching Lily open her presents. (on the next chair was Dad asleep too!) Aidrian was watching though!

Growing Girl

Aidrian's hair is getting lighter! It always looks like she doesn't have any eyelashes, but it's because they are blonde. This is what her hair looks like right after a bath... Pretty girl ready to go! She's wearing a little denim skirt. :)
She'll be 3 weeks old tomorrow...can't believe it. I thought this one was so cute because Ethan's talking to her and she's looking so worried. He's having a harder time being soft these days...we also told the kids that she couldn't see far away yet. Well that was a recipe for "in your face" songs and chit chats all day long to Aidrian. So when she's asleep they can't touch her...Ethan will poke her head or shake it or pull one hair etc etc you get the idea...And you know when they are asleep but their eyes peer open sometimes? Ugh! Sooooo, the worried look is priceless. I'd be worried too!

Ramblings of a mother of 3...

I've loved the recent emails asking how mom and baby are...(thanks aunties!) and was responding to Aunt Jam and thought I'd post it on here for fun. Maybe I shouldn't actually confess all these ramblings...but then again, it may cause a chuckle or jog that forgotten memory.

Aidrian is doing really well. She's the sweetest baby. Good eater and great sleeper, although I still wake up in the morning feeling like a zombie, or that I just get hit by a truck depending on what I did the day before.Is your back supposed to feel lopsided?

I never thought I was an "old hat" until this one. Things sag where you don't want them to and your brain hurts when you think too hard about something, even if it's nothing important, like what day is it? I think my brain must be on hold right now...Do you ever get it back? Took the kids to their park play date today, ready to leave and after getting Aidrian out of the stroller and getting everyone buckled I take off leaving the stroller in the street right behind where the van used to be...hmmm. Hours later, at the store I look for the stroller in the trunk and it's not there...luckily it was it a safe neighborhood and no one had stolen it! (at least I didn't forget a child!?)

And with the comments of my older kids consisting of words like "full of energy", "have a lot of spunk", "really busy"...I can't expect anything less hearing stories from Travis' childhood, I stop wondering why my house looks like a tornado and my hair isn't washed for the 3rd day in a row, and I get everyone in the van and wonder, "Where am I going again?"

I think I've washed my sheets 3 times since her birth-- spit up, milk, poop and pee (only one out of the four are from me...) as I "forget" or am just plain too tired to burp her, wake up or change her in the wee hours of the morning...

BUT with all that said, I love having 3 kiddos--they have made my life full of joy, love, poop, laughs, dirt, kisses and tender moments. Wouldn't trade any of them for the world...

although I saw a t-shirt the other day that said "Will trade brother for a puppy" and wondered if Kaylin could read, if she would agree to that..."

Aidrian's Photos

I wanted to take Aidrian's pictures before she stopped looking like a newborn. And of course the kids wanted to the join the "fun". So I thought I'd try to get a family picture...

Hopefully we'll have better luck next time...