It's A.....

 Healthy, perfect baby BOY!

Super Bat Sam!

Oh, Sam. My sweet little guy who wants nothing more than to be BIG. If Sam ever happens to tell you how big you are, you can be sure he means it as a great compliment!

Sam went though a little I-don't-want-to-sleep-stage, which in this house doesn't fly. So, one day during nap time, after getting out of bed one to many times, I told him that you grow when you sleep! It worked like a charm, and his sleeping got 100% better. Then, for weeks after that, every time he woke up the first thing he'd say was, "Look how big I am!"

Last night as we were brushing our teeth at bedtime, I told him, "I can't believe you rode your bike all the way to the park today, Sam! You are getting so big!" To wish he responds, "Am I getting huger and huger?!" Yes, Sam. Yes, you are.

Being a mom to three {boys}: The first year

Here we are, a little over one year of life with three boys! I didn't think it was possible, but this past year has flown by faster than any other. Life is definitely crazy with three boys! So. Much. Wrestling. And yelling from the wrestling. And whining from the wrestling. And injuries from the wrestling. Even Charlie likes to get in on the action. Speaking of Charlie...my sweet, always smiling, baby boy has been replaced by an opinionated, moody, tantrum throwing little man baby. He even beats up on his older brothers if they do something he doesn't like. This is definitely a first for me to have my one year old act this way. He is definitely requiring some extra love and patience!

I have been asked many times by parents with one or two kids if the jump from two to three was as tough as "they" say it is. My response is neither a Yes or a No.

It has definitely been a challenging year, but I don't think the fact that I have three kids instead of two was the issue. After Charlie was born, it took quite awhile to adjust to being able to get anything done that didn't involve feeding the boys or changing diapers. But you know what? I went through that after Will was born, as well as with Sam. It wasn't a third child struggle as much as it was a new baby struggle. 

I feel like whatever challenges I am faced with as a mom are going to happen whether I have 2,3 or 10 kids. And the thing about kids is....they grow up. The older they get the less needy and more independent they become. Yes, they will definitely still have their challenging moments, but they will also be able to dress and feed themselves. They can empty the dishwasher, sweep the floor, and clean up their own toys. I have Will help bring in almost all of the grocery bags which is a tremendous help. He also likes to push Sam and Charlie in the grocery cart which keeps him from complaining, and I am much more efficient finding what I need. As long as he doesn't crash into a chapstick display. That could really slow things down. Hypothetically speaking. They can give the baby his bottle/binky/blanky, so you don't have to stop and do it yourself every 5 minutes. 

Overall, things are good as of late. All of their ages are so much fun. Will is almost 6 (!!!) and is really able to comprehend more and more every day, and we can have some more meaningful conversations. Sam is SO stinkin' CUTE. I wish I could strap a camera on him and just record everything he says and does. He is so loving, sweet and snuggly. I can't keep track of how many times a day he will say, "I yuv you mom" or come give me a hug. Charlie can be a lot of fun too, when he is in the right mood. He loves chasing his brothers around, and getting in on the ball playing or toy dinosaur fights. There are definitely days where I feel a complete lack of control. That there is so much fighting, and whining and what I say goes in one ear and straight out the other. Some days I am able to remain calm, and just stop and give hugs in the midst of chaos. Other days I yell. A lot. We are all pro's at the "I'm sorry for (insert offense here) will you forgive me" drill.

So, to all you moms in the throws of new baby hood. You are doing a great job! No one does it all, you hear me? It will get easier. 

And now, some cute pictures of my boys taken a few weeks ago after church...

Read the other parts of this series here and here.

Boys and their blankies

I have made it a priority to make a blanket for all my boys before they are born (and hope to do so for anymore kids to come!) As soon as I find out the gender while pregnant, I can't wait to go buy my yarn (my favorite kind is this) and start crocheting! 

I have never been pushy on trying to make them super attached to it, but so far Will and Sam's blankies have gotten lots of love from them. 

About a year ago, just out of the blue, Will stopped wanting his blanky at bedtime. I must admit I was a little sad about it at first! Although, he doesn't need it to sleep anymore it is still right on his bedside. Every so often he will pull it into bed with him and wrap himself all up in it, and it sure does make my heart happy. 

When I made Will's blanky my personal sense of style was pretty non existent (there was no Pinterest yet!), and I went with the generic blue's and green for him with a simple double crochet pattern.

Sammy boy still loves his blanky. He has gone back and forth when it comes to what stuffed animal he wants to sleep with (or as of late hard plastic dinosaurs), but has always loved his blanket. I went with a more classic neutral style for his with navy blue and white with the same double crochet pattern.

Charlie boy! He sleeps with his blanket every night, but is still a bit to young to become attached to anything (with the exception of his mommy, that is). My crocheting skills had gotten more advanced since having Sam, so I wanted to do something completely different for his blanky. I decided on a granny square style pattern (I used this one!) with some more funky and modern colors. I love how it came out!

Being a mom to three {boys}: The first 6 months

A lot has changed since the last time I wrote about being a mom to three boys. Charlie is now 6 months old, and I feel like we've gotten into a pretty good groove.

The last time I wrote, I was literally spending half my day either trying to get Charlie to sleep or nursing him. It was SO hard to get anything else accomplished, and when it came to me vs. housework I was definitely losing. These days, I can usually count on Charlie to go down for a couple naps a day without much of an issue, and even Will and Sam still take an afternoon nap most days. Charlie can also self entertain himself more when he is awake, and it makes such a difference in how productive I can be. For the first time since we've been in this house (over a year now!) I finally feel like I have gained control over my house, and it feels great!

Will and Sam continue to be such great big brothers. I can always count on them to make Charlie laugh, and even they can't get over how cute he is! They love giving him hugs and kisses, bouncing him in his johnny jumper and joining him for tummy time on the floor.

Leaving the house is more of a challenge, and I definitely have had some stressed out, hold my breath, pull my hair out moments while out shopping with all three. I finally feel like I have gotten to a good place though, and am able to just let things ride. Some days we leave 2 hours later than I wanted, the boys might require more attention/discipline, Charlie will need to nurse and we end up getting home to late for naps to happen. It is what it is.

I am still in shock over the fact that I got these pictures. They in no way accurately depict real life these days. Will and Sam usually want nothing to do with getting their picture taken. I had just finished taking pictures of Charlie for his 6 month post, and I asked the boys if they could come next to Charlie for a picture (not thinking for a second it would actually happen!) But, here we have it. Some adorable pictures of my three boys! Together! And smiling!

This picture cracks me up. I wanted Sam to sit next to Will, but turns out he had a poopy diaper. His little hands on Will's shoulders kill me!

The verdict is in...

Three boy. They'll be the best of friends. Three sons who will love, honor, respect and protect their mommy (and future sisters) just like their daddy does. Three boys to snuggle with one minute and wrestle with the next. Three boys to keep this mommy on her toes. Three boys to love.

Everything looked great on the ultrasound; perfectly proportioned. Baby was very squirmy, but gave us a good enough view for the doctor to be certain it is, in fact, another boy. Will was pretty upset when he found out. He really wanted a sister. But, I am sure he'll be over by tomorrow, and is going to love having another brother to boss around. Dean is in shock that he will have THREE boys. I am anxious to start decorating a BOY nursery, and picking out colors for his blanky I will make. We are beyond thrilled to be blessed with another healthy baby, and can't wait to meet him now!