Happy One Month Jolie Girl!

Jolie, 

I can't believe these sweet little cheeks are one month old.

At your appointment you weighed 10.3 oz and were 21.5 inches long! You are in size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes! Your hair is Worl dark brown and your eyes are a dark dark blue. Aunt Nene thinks she sees specs of brown it in too! Fingers crossed! 

Sleep. Oh sweet girl. You scared us in the beginning, but after switching to sensitive formula- you are rocking it. Yoi are slightly more difficult to get to sleep during the day, especially to go to bed. But once you are there- you sleep a good 1-2 hours each time during the day, then at night -  getting up around 230, then again at 530 or 630.. The sleeping until 930/10. This lets mommy take the first feed and give daddy a solid 6-7 hours of sleep. & daddy takes the 2nd feed at 530-630 & I take the girls downstairs to let daddy put you back down and take a shower for work. 

You've been on a pretty random sleeping schedule but usually eat every 3 hours during the day. Started out at 3 ounces and ended the month at almost 4 ounces! 

We can get you so smile if we squeeze your sweet cheeks. You already love to stand. You love to sleep on your side and are watching you for torticollis like your big sis Ella had. You remind us a lot of Bria though, you have to have a blanket on your head to got lake percent because you are a little nosey baby!

You have been out and about a lot! We've been to Walmart several times, dollar store, grocery stores, the mall twice, Mamaws, Aunt Heidi's for Averys birthday, Nanny and Pappys, daddy's basketball game, a photography studio, Home Depot multiple times,  a few restaurants and of course we lived at Aunt Nenes for a week! With a renovation and two older sisters, you've been so great. Nothing phases you.  

You have enhanced our world and are the sweetest last addition we could ever ask for. We love you to the moon and back sweet cheeks! 

Renovation Update Part 4

It's so close I can taste it. We've picked out everything, just waiting on the process.. 

Coming up the stairs 

To the right at the top of the stairs, my craft nook. I'm so excited!

To the left at the top of the stairs, the bathroom and laundry (behind shower) 

Our room 

Our closets 

Hall closet and entrance to Jolies room 

They we going to tile the bathroom floor tomorrow! Whoop! 

I'm so excited for the progress but I'm starting to wonder if they will be finished before I go back to work.. Dear Jesus I hope so! 

First Full Week By Myself, Take 2

IOkay, so this week isn't entirely by myself. I'll admit.

It's closer than last week though. 

Monday- 

It was a day. Not terribly bad, not super amazing. But I can tell it was a day because I took zero pictures. This is from Ella. We stayed in our PJs all day. 

Andrew did take a half day because he wouldn't have seen the girls at all if he didn't. He came home around noon and left at 330 for his away game. Which he won. 

My parents stopped over to take our propane tank for our stove to be refilled, yes our stove has propane.... It's too heavy for my husband to carry. So my dad comes and does it. 

He stopped in for a minute and then left. 

I'm assuming the rest of the day was ok. I don't remember much of it (it's only Wednesday when I'm starting this.. Scary) Jolie did have trouble sleeping through the day so we switched back to our hospital nipples instead of Tommie tippie which we just tried the day before. 

Tuesday- 

Started out like any other day. Girls were generally fine. We painted toe nails in the AM, Jolie slept good that morning. Girls went down for nap well. Honestly, something was. Wrong in my head. I was feeling off and overwhelmed even though I shouldn't have. The girls were good, minus Jolie once again not sleeping through the day. It's exhausting rocking a baby to sleep that wants it but could careless if she gets it. 

 So I tried this. Yes I know I didn't have he bottom piece up to her neck.

I fixed that after the pic. That only made both of us sweaty and cranky. 

We started painting fingernails when Ella snuck off with nail polish. Cue blue nail polish all over her bedroom carpet. Later that night, Ella climbed on her dresser, then snuck up into the addition which isn't finished and is dangerous with lots of tools. That's all the girls really did that Sta so it wasn't bad. Just Jolie not wanting to sleep just added to whatever my head was feeling and by 645 I texted my husband I was spent. He got done with basketball and was home by 710. Again trying to put her to sleep,'she was exhausted. Nothing. I was dying inside. I it's burst into tears. Then hyperventilating tears later on. My husband was being nice telling me to go to sleep but I was taking it as defeat. I can't admit defeat. I have to do this mom of 3 thing alone and well, with a smile on my face dammit. This is what k was made to do and I have to like it! But yesterday I didn't. I cried myself to sleep. I was still a bit resentful at 230 AM when getting up to feed her, but by 620AM when walking into my toddlers smiling faces... I was better. 

Wednesday-was a new day! Although our plans to go to my  sisters were changed.. We had a good day of sleeping for Jolie. (Evening sleep was rough, but daddy came home at 545pm so he was a welcomed aight after seeing him leave at 7am.) we watched Masha and the beat... If you haven't watched it. Do it! It's so cute. It's my favorite cartoon the girls watch. Netflix. Played play doh, cored, made popcorn and watche Alvin and the chipmunks, read books, helped make dinner, played babies. Jolie ate well.. Slept good, went to Walmart and picked up dinner and bubble bath. I barely had to raise my voice and no timeouts were needed. Their (and mine) reward was McDonald's cookie (and fountain Diet Coke please and thank you) and I feel refreshed. Andrew is staying up to watch the duke game, so he's on baby duty to put to sleep and I'm

About to recharge for Thursday. 

Cheeks. 

Thursday- my parents took the girls all day. Andrew dropped them of in the morning. Which was glorious. I didn't sleep any extra but I got to relax in my bed just sitting there which I don't get to do anymore. I had my parents take them so they get used to sleeping in their toddler beds down there again. My mom said they asked to go to sleep at 1020, they usually don't go down for a nap until 11 at their house, so they comprised 1040 and woke up at 120! Win! 

Meanwhile, I did laundry, dishes, bottles, scrubbed the couch, cleaned downstairs, and made this! 

I seriously looooooove my heat press. I used it on everything and it's the best guy ever. No lie. 

My friend Ashley got me this monthly bow.

Jolie would rather turn her head so it was hard to see. It's adorable though. 

And my gorgeous little baby doll! I die. She's so cute! 

A lady at my work made the mermaid tail, I don't even know if she knew of my onsession with mermaids or not,

But it's seriously the best! 

Around 2pm I fed Jolie and we ran to the bank and grocery store. I wasn't sure how to do it, but I took her stroller so I could use the bottom and add groceries in there. And I pulled the cart behind me, it was a huge trip where the buggy was overflowing. I packed up everything and Jolie was so good the entire time. Then went to pick up my big girls! 

Andrew came home from school to

Help me unload the car and make dinner. Then he was off to his basketball game. I put the girls to bed and Jolie and I snuggled aka I tried to get her to sleep for 3 hours. Finally daddy came home and it was his turn. 

Mom to 3.

This is sort of a life update about how it's going with 3 under 2.5... Because it's definitely different. 

I will say it- before Jolie got here & before I was pregnant- the girls were easy. I had everything figured out- our daily schedule to our weekly schedule. 

Mon/Tuesday- at moms

Wednesday- I was off. Every other week we did grocery shopping just us 3. Then the opposite week went out to a play place, or my sisters.

Thursday- my sister in law comes to the house while I go to work for either a full or half day. Depending. We usually went to the park or something that afternoon.

Friday- I was off. We did activities, went to my Mamaws for lunch every week. 

I swept everyday, did at least one load do dishes a day. I was making dinner every night. I had it figured out, losing weight. I wasn't the least bit afraid to take the girls anywhere. I could handle it. 

Fast forward to pregnancy- I was exhausted. I maybe did dishes once a week. Barely cooked. But still kept up with the girls- they took all my energy. 

Now, life with 3 is interesting. I don't have it all figured out. One trip out with all 3 will be fantastic. The next will be a nightmare, resulting in me carrying Ella like a football while pushing the buggy with Jolie in the bottom and Bria sitting up top. I haven't had to make a grocery trip by myself with all 3 and I'm dreading it.

The girls are 2.5 so we are in the trecnchea. And I mean that! Trenches!!! Of the terrible twos. I said knee deep but I my head is really barely getting air. They are hard. Everything is a fight, or tantrum. Everything. 

From what they want to take to bed, to what pjs they want to wear, to what bowl they eat cereal out of, to what clothes they wear for the day (especially Bria), to the toys they are playing with, whose turn it is to sit in the middle seat, to who gets to sit closest to Jolie on the floor, to the spoon they use for lunch, I mean the list goes on. & Ella can put up a good fight. She doesn't back down. It's her way or no way she thinks. & it usually results in a timeout in her room and even then she is defiant by throwing things, spitting, hitting. It's bad. 

Jolie has been a pretty good baby overall. 

She is super alert throughout the day. So it's days are spent rocking her to sleep because she's cranky, but she usually could care less if she actually goes to sleep. 

Nighttime sleep has been pretty amazing, since switching to sensitive formula,!86/ been such a difference. After switching, she was waking around 2/3, then again at 5/6 to eat. For 3-4 days she was waking at 5/6 and that's it! Last night was her first time back to 2 am wake up,

But I'm telling myself she didn't get much restful sleep the night before and that's why. She goes down around 10pm. If I can get her down at 9, & I got back to bed at 9, I can feel even better waking up at 5 to stay up for the day, since the bogs get up at 6am anyways. 

The days are long though, it's not easy with Andrew being gone, because he's  Not gone a normal work day. He is gone 7-6pm or even 7-4, then comes home until 5 only to leave again and do 5-10.. Unless school gets cancelled. I'm so solo pretty much all day everyday. & most weekends he has something. A game.. Or practice or even this Sunday some stupid all conference selection.. It just Ruins any plans and breaks up the weekend. 2 days isn't long enough for me to recover anyways, let alone for the weekend to be interrupted. I'm trying my hardest to be supportive but I'm not going to lie. It's not fun. Or healthy. I have a hair appointment Saturday and I've never been more excited in my life! 

But, these girls love me more than I've ever been loved and never want to see me leave or even go to the bathroom for Petes sake.  This is everything I wanted, I just need a little more grace and time to figure out a new groove for the 4!!!!! Of us! 

We survived!

So we survived Monday-Friday at my sisters! Y'all! I'm pumped. 

My girls have never slept anywhere else. At all. No hotel, no grandparents (minus naps) but never anywhere overnight. So this was big. I was legit freaking out. 

We brought everything we could to make it a smooth transition. Which included taking their cribs. Which was a hassle. They wouldn't fit out the bedroom door Monday morning. 

So this is how Monday went. 

Newborn, 2 toddlers, Andrew-

Who had a basketball game at 12pm, had to leave by 10am. 

He's taking apart the cribs, it wasn't a pretty sight. He was pissed. It wasn't going his way and we were strapped for

Time. 

My brother in law came over and w eloaded up the cribs and everything into the truck. Meanwhile, all 3 construction workers are here making holes in the girls wall, drawing on the wall, etc. I'm feeding my 4 day old, it's a mess. 

We get to my sisters, the girls play for a little bit and it's time to try nap time. Andrew didn't have time to put the fronts on the cribs and he thought they would really like it. They hated it. Andrew had already left for basketball and I'm there with scared, screaming kids and a newborn. They finally fell asleep and slept for 2 hours. Jolie was gassy and wasn't sleeping well at night so it was rough on both of us. Nighttime was the same for the girls, they were scared and wanted me to lean the side of the crib up to box them in. 

Well it fell over multiple times. At one point I walk in, the side of the crib is fallen over and Bria is laying on the floor next to it. She FELL out and didn't wake up! I scooped her up and put her back in bed and went back in to my fussy newborn. 

Tuesday was Jolies newborn appointment. She was back up to birth Weight!!!! By 6 days!! We discussed our formula feeding and we were on regular similac advance. She said most of the time you end up switching to sensitive. I contemplated it but accepted the samples they gave us of the regular. 

My mom had to watch Sabreenas girls so she watched Ella and Bria too! I have never went out with just one baby!! It was so easy! We went to target for wipes and gripe water, picked up chic Fila for Andrew for lunch at school, dropped it off to him and went to pick up my girls! THey wanted to ride home with Sabreena so she sent me to Walgreens with Jolie & back home.. Aka her house. 

Wedesday- Andrew took off, we went to Home Depot to pick out carpet and basically our big official trip out as a fm silt of five was a nightmare. Ella threw multiple fits- at Home Depot, at McDonald's. In the car. It was so bad. 

Thursday- Andrew took off again and it was newborn picture time. Our 2nd outing. Which was also a mess. But honestly when are newborn pictures not a mess. Jolie was the most alert newborn I've ever seen and she just wasn't having being forced to sleep. It was smoking hot in there because it helps babies sleep. Well, it makes Andrews cranky. Very. Coupled with crazy toddlers ebbing there for2+ hours. Luckily our photographer is bomb. 

Dyingggggg

I have the perfect spot to get this blown up! I'm pumped!!!! 

Traditional daddy jersey pic.

Flashback- 

These are on my list to blow up as well.. Well this one already is blown up and framed.

 & this is going in her room! I die. 

So that was a disaster and a half. 

Friday- official Move back in day. Impeding   snow storm. We don't have a truck so we are at the mercy of a truck owner and the girls naps. Waiting for the girls to wake up and for his dad to get there with a truck and you see inches coming down within an hour was scary. 

But we made it home! 

And we ended up snowed in for 3+ days with 26-ish inches. My mom lives 10 minutes from me and got 37 inches insanity.