Chaos and happiness, all in one.

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Hey Everyone! This three kid thing is no joke, so busy. When I actually have a free moment, I try to work out or nap because things are just so hectic. It is so funny because each time you have a kid things are so hard for the first four months. But, we’re finally in a groove and a good routine, so it’s been nice to have some predictability. I wanted to do an update on all of the kids and share some favorite pictures of each of them.

Ella Rose is four and half years old now and makes sure to tell everyone ;-). She LOVES school, and wishes she went every day. She goes three days a week, and loves to be challenged. Her favorite activities are swimming and dance (tap and ballet). Swimming is by far her favorite and she has exceled so much in the past year. She is now learning free style and swimming laps. Her favorite thing is going to the pool in the summers and jumping off the diving board. Her coach just told me she has awesome dives, which was fun to hear. She also takes Spanish lessons, and really enjoys learning a new language. She is still determined as ever, and I know that will take her far in life. The other day she was telling me about school during our nightly “chat,” and said “Mommy, when I grow up I’m going to be SOMEBODY.” And, in this proud mommy moment, all I could think was, you surely are Ella Rose, you surely are. I can’t wait to see who she becomes. She says she wants to be a doctor and a mermaid when she grows up. I love that. She is very socially aware and still as girly as can be. She loves playing dress up, wearing jewelry, painting her nails, and doing crafts. She is the best big sister, and little helper to Arabelle (her mini me). She absolutely adores her baby sister and takes her job very seriously ;-). She and Owen tend to fight like cats and dogs, but in those rare, sweet moments where they are giggling and playing together, it is the best noise in the house. I hope they will be close their entire life. Her serious attitude in life and determination is something I admire, and even though it challenges me every day, she has made me a better mommy.

Owen Patrick. Where do I begin?! He is definitely our goofy one in this house. He is a ball of energy from the minute he wakes up at 5 am until he goes to bed at night. He is so happy, and knows how to make people laugh. He is definitely TWO years old right now and learning to find his voice. His favorite sayings are “NO!” (then immediately says yes after, ha!) “I’m sorry mommy,” and “I meeesed (missed you)!” He is the sweetest little guy and definitely has a soft spot in our hearts. He also adores his baby sister Arabelle and loves going to get her from her crib in the morning. He loves saying, “hi, cute baby!” which is my absolute favorite. He is very physical, active, and coordinated. He wrestles and tackles anything and anyone in site ;-). I can’t wait to see if he plays sports because he flies on his scooter. He loves his mom/tot gymnastics class, riding his scooter with Ella Rose (racing to see who can be first), and playing with his “guys.” He is so great at sharing and is still a book worm. His favorite place is the library. His new thing is sitting with his books and pretending to read. I hope his love for reading is a passion for life. He is also into superheroes at the moment and likes playing with his cars. He just turned a corner with playing games, and loves to play Slap Dory and Hi Ho Cheerio. He also loves being outside, something he has enjoyed since he was a baby. It’s so much fun to see how different he and Ella Rose are. They are both extremely sensitive and empathetic, traits I hope they continue to have in life. He is talking more and more, pretty much full sentences and continues to make us laugh each day. His wild curls definitely suit his personality. I hope his positive personality brings him much happiness in his life.

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And now for our sweet baby girl, Arabelle Therese. She is the calm, “peacemaker” of the family we say. She has the biggest, open-mouthed smile that lights up in any room. She is very social, happy, and loves life. She only cries when she is over tired or starving. She was our first to refuse the bottle (fixed that right away though!), and the paci. Just recently she started taking it if she’s desperate, but also resorts to her thumb. It’s actually the cutest thing. Just the other night, she was fussing in the tub because she was tired and just started sucking her thumb, almost dozing off…it was really sweet. She is not so much a newborn, but still loves to be held. She is sleeping pretty well, gets up about once a night, usually, and is as tiny as can be (surprise, surprise…genetics). You would say she is “sleeping through the night” with a first stretch of eight hours (sometimes 12), then eats, and goes right back to bed. The doctor had said if she gets up in the night to feed her so she can continue to gain weight (she’s 12 lbs now!). She has been in her crib for about two months now, and we went right from the Woombie to a sleep sack. My favorite sleep sacks for summer time are: Angel dear sleep sacks and for winter are: Baby dee dee sleep sacks. That transition went so smoothly, and we didn’t need to use the Baby Merlin’s Magic sleep suit with her. She loves sitting in the Bumbo and playing on her play mat. She has also tried a few solids; her favorite is rice cereal. She adores Owen and Ella Rose, and follows their every move. She smiles and laughs at them always. She loves chewing on her hands, has found her feet, and loves her massage and bath. She is just the sweetest baby on earth, and it’s funny, because it’s hard to imagine life before she was born! We are all obsessed with her, and the joy she brings our family is the best.

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These past few months have been a little bit of a blur. Between a newborn, Owen in a big kid bed, and balancing the school/activities schedule, busy is an under statement! We even conquered three fun trips when we felt ready to travel- a trip home to see family, a trip to the mountains (Winter Park), and a trip with friends (Austin, TX). The kids had a blast on each of them and it was so good to see family that had not met Arabelle yet. We also celebrated Arabelle’s Baptism, which was such a perfect, special day for her. With Arabelle almost five months old now, we feel like we are in a good place as a family. I said to Brendan the other day, I can’t believe I’ve been pregnant three of the last four years!!! Excited to just enjoy the kiddos at this crazy stage in life and watch their personalities continue to blossom. Shout out to all of our family (my mama!) and my good friends who have been there for us. Whether it was helping with the new born stage, bringing us dinner, or simply calling/texting to check in and see how I was handling all three kids and recovering- you know who you are, and you’re the BEST. Stay tuned!