Libby is 2 Months!

Miss Libby Frances is 2 months today!!!!  These 2 months have flown by...she is such a great baby!  She eats and sleeps!  That's about all.  She's a happy, go-with-the flow type of gal!  She loves cuddles and snuggles.  She makes us so happy and we love her so much!!!!

Here are some recent pictures of Libs...


Go Hawks!  We can't wait to watch her grown into her jersey!


Rocking in her chair.


Our little giraffe headed to the sitter's house.


Caitlin is really GREAT with her sister! 


Sitting in her Bumbo.


Practicing tummy time.


Sitting with her daddy.  She really has his wrapped around her finger...she is definitely going to be Daddy's girl!


I love clock.  (Quote from Anchorman. She loves to stare at our clock.)

Libby eats great!  When she takes a bottle at the sitter's house, she's eating about 3.5-4 oz, every 3 or so hours.  She takes 1 or 2 bottles at the sitter, and I'm feeding her the rest.  She has still not had formula!  :)  I'd love to make it at least 6 months, but my goal is a year.

She's been going to bed around 9:00 in her crib.  The last few nights she has actually slept until 2:00.  She moves into our bed and eats.  Then she sleeps in our bed, gets up again around 5:00 or 6:00 and eats again.  Then she usually stays up and plays until we leave around 8:00 for the sitter.

I started back to work this week.  It's been an adjustment...but we are doing good.  The older girls are very happy that I'm back at school with them..and that they get to go back to Miss Izabella's house.  It was really hard to leave Libby, but she's only gone a few hours from me (between 2 and 5 depending on the day..I love the days it's only 2)...and she sleeps most the time she's gone.  I'm definitely looking forward to having 3 months this summer with her...we are going to start swim lessons!  :)

Abigail and Caitlin have continued to adjust to Libby.  So far, they haven't really had any jealous moments.  In fact, I think they appreciate it...we have been home a lot more and they are happy.  They talk about Libby all the time and let me know when she's crying, hungry, happy, etc.  I know those 3 are going to have some nasty fights...but they are going to grow up the best of friends!

Happy 2 Months, Libs...or Lib-a-saurus as daddy calls you!  You have completed our family...and make us happier than we ever could have imagined!  We love you!!!

Our Wedding Picture

Abigail drew us a "wedding picture".  I LOVE the heart!  And how Rob's hand bends backwards to hold mine!    So sweet!

In other news, Caitlin came down with some stomach virus and had a LONG night.  She's feeling better today..and refers to our couch as "my sick bed."  She's watched Calliou Christmas 5 times...so I'm ready for her to get better so I can get that squeaky whiney voice (Calliou, not Caitlin) out of my head.  But she was a trooper..and today I saw her putting "buckets" (bowls) next to all her dolls sleeping!  ;)

And in a Libby update, she is 7 weeks tomorrow.  I can't believe how fast these 7 weeks went by.  I am going back to work on Monday...it's soon but since it's only half days and I'm done mid-May (plus a day off coming up already and Spring break in 2 months), I figured it was time.  We will see how I get out of the house with 3 kids dressed for school...and on time!  Wish me luck! 

Libby is still only sleeping 2-3 hour stretches at night, although last night she did a 4 hour stretch (unfortunately I was up with Caitlin so it didnt help me out) so maybe we are getting there.  She will still ONLY sleep with me, she refuses to sleep in her bassinet and I can't exactly let her cry it out because she has the most ridiculous cry.  She doesn't cry often, but when she does, it's a SCREAM!  There is no wimpering or warning...it scares me every time she does it! 

Libby continues to be a great baby who just goes with the flow.  She takes naps in her car seat like a typical 3rd child!  I'm still feeding her, but she takes a pumped bottle when need be...and even took her 1st formula today (just trying it because I'm leaving emergency back-up formula with her sitter) so she's a easy-going, go-with-the-flow baby! 

She's my cuddle bug!  She loves to be held!!!!!  She makes everyone in our family so happy!

That's our little update!!!

New Years Eve

The weekend before New Year's Eve, Rob and I (and Libby) went to Joe's parent's Wedding Blessing (like a renewal ceremony).  It was a really beautiful service and reception.  I was really looking forward to it...and it was a great night out!!!!  The girls headed up to Bass Lake with Nana and Papa.

The day before New Years Eve, Rob and I headed up and joined them at the cabin.  We began the weekend at a local "establishment" watching the Bears game.  It was a great way to kick off a fun, relaxing weekend!

On New Years Eve, we did a lot of relaxing and spending time as a family.  I couldn't imagine a better way to end what was one of the best years in our lives (it was the year Libby joined our family)..and welcome what we can hope is an even better year!

We spent the day shopping, doing puzzles, playing card games, eating and drinking...lots....and relaxing a lot!!!  We did stay awake to see the countdown...although it was the count down in New York...but that's okay! 


Ringing in the New Year with my 4 favorite people


The girls all "helping" Nana with Libby.  Too cute.


Caitlin set up a tea party...and Daddy was happy to join in the fun!  What a great daddy!!!!


Miss Libby in her new snow suit!  Warm!!!!

 They got a few inches of snow and the older girls couldn't wait to get outside...


Abigail



Caitlin


Our snowman


The girls having a snowball fight with Papa.  Libby was watching with Nana in the window (you can see them)...Libby loved to watch the snow!


Dance Party to ring in 2013!

It was a great time...and a great start to what we hope will be our best year yet!!!!!

Christmas Day

I can't believe it.  I took a grand total of 5 pictures from Christmas Day!  I really failed at my picture duties.  I'm so sad I didn't do a better job...I didn't even take a picture of our tree/presents on Christmas morning!

The girls work up at their normal 7:00am time.  Daddy headed downstairs to start our Christmas gift...our new Keurig.  We had gotten it a month before, but since it was our Christmas gift to each other, I wouldn't let him use it till Christmas morning.  It was worth the wait!

After we got everything organized (Christmas music on, coffee drank, Libby fed, Cinnamon rolls in oven), the girls came down.  When they came downstairs, the first thing Caitlin saw was her new Cinderella bike.  It was all she wanted and she was so excited.  Abigail was so happy for her that she ran downstairs into the basement and found her old Cinderella doll to put in the basket.  She didn't even look at her gift.  But when she finally saw her new Stuffie, she was very excited.  They had a great morning opening gifts.  We tried to slow things down, but they were too excited.  Rob and I only exchange stocking stuffer fun gifts...so the morning was for the girls.  An hour later, our room looked like toys'r'us.  Both girls got their dream lites and a soccer ball.  Some of the other gifts included a Vet set, singing Ariel, leap pad games and gel skin, tea set, hair set, bath toys, art supplies, princess dresses....oh, and tickets to Princesses on Ice.  It was a really great morning!  (When we got to Nana and Papa's house, they asked what the girls got.  Caitlin was excited to tell them all about her Cinderella bike!  When they asked Abigail, she said, "A new tooth brush"....ha!


"My new cinde-wella bike"


:My Stuffie (pillow with pockets to hide things from my sister)"


Libby's new bath toys..she's pretty excited!

When presents and breakfast rolls were done, we packed up and headed to Nana and Papa's house.  After breakfast cocktails and breakfast, we began another round of presents!

The girls got new roller skates (complete with elbow, knee, and wrist guards) which they are very excited about.  Caitlin got a tangled doll and her horse, which she thinks is the coolest thing ever.  Abigail got a Cinderella carriage for her new Cinderella and Prince Charming.  They also got a new table for their tea set..and lots of other great presents.  Libby got a gift certificate so she can buy herself diapers, etc.  :)  Rob and I were spoiled as always.  Rob also got a gift certificate for a night away at Key Lime Cove..and there were lots of fun things (shirts, book bags, etc) for the girls whent we go!  Very excited!!!!


Skating girls


Christmas baby..she looks so sweet!

After our great Christmas morning, we had about an hour to head home, change into our Christmas clothes, and head to great Nani and great Papa's house for Christmas dinner.  It's always so much fun to be with all the family.  The food is out of control.  Rob's grandma made 101 raviolis by hand..and I'm sure they were all gone.  Delicious!  And again, our girls were spoiled rotten with lots of cute clothes and fun toys, including a lite brite, fun books, and pillows they can draw on and then wash off.  Rob and I also left with a whole lot of loot!  And Libby left with a Godmother...Auntie Stina!  It was a great great great Christmas evening!


The girls with Auntie Brina and Uncle Tom.  Isn't this a great family picture?  I told Deb I'm putting Rob and my heads on their heads and calling it our Christmas family picture since we didn't take one!  :) 


A view of some of the crew


Libby and her Godmother, Auntie Stina

Christmas Day was perfect!!!!!  The girls had such a special 2 days...and were ready to stay in their pajamas and play the entire next day..and this mama was too!  :)

Christmas Eve

Christmas Even has always been, and continues to be, my favorite day of the year.  It's full of Christmas traditions like mass, traditional food, family, and gifts...and then add to that the "magic" that Santa is out there and will be stopping at our house tonight...magical!!!!!

Christmas Eve was as great as ever..maybe the best Christmas eve yet!!!


Joe's parents stopped by to meet Libby.  They had Christmas gifts for the girls which was so sweet!!!


The girls getting in some cuddle time with Grandpa!  Shortly after, Libby took their spot and stayed there happily for most of Christmas eve!


Our little Santa baby!  It was so much fun having Libby there for Christmas...and am even more excited for next year when she will really get to enjoy the magic of Christmas!


The girls with their dinner.  Thanks Uncle Joe for making mac-n-cheese!  Abigail's meal basically consisted of Holy Bread..I am pretty sure she ate a whole loaf!


Miss Lucy enjoying a Christmas meal...for a few minutes!

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The Christmas table.  Crab legs, oysters, clams, lake perch, pierogies...all our favorite Christmas eve traditions!


The cousins!


Can't even imagine what next year will bring with 5 princesses!!!!!


Lucy opening gifts.  We got her this princess castle.  It was so cute because she was so excited that she couldn't stop looking at the box.  She didn't realize that Uncle Rob had already put it together and was behind her surprising her.  He kept saying "Lucy...look here" but she wouldn't stop looking at the box.  I'm sure her reaction was priceless when she finally turned around (I only had a view from the back).


2 of my tu-tu Christmas girls (and yes, Libs had Christmas tu-tu pajamas too!)


Abigial LOVED her Madeline doll.  She loves Madeline books so much, and was very excited to get not 1, but 2 Madeline dolls!


Caitlin's new American girl doll.  Her and Lucy got twins...and now get to join big cousin/sister Abigail at the American Girl store next week for tea!!!

The girls got so many wonderful gifts, it's hard to even begin to name them all.  Caitlin got bunk beds for her doll (big hit with all the girls), a personalized lunch box (this girl loves lunch boxes), a running suit, lots of cute clothes, Elmo movie, and more!  Abigail got a Barbie room for Princess and the Popstar (another favorite), mermaid Barbie, lots of cute clothes including a favorite princess shirt, Princess movie, personalized bath towel (her 1st big girl towel without a hood on it) and more!  Libby also got gifts..she got a personalized piggy bank, a snow suit, and 2 personalized things for her room!!!  I was very excited about the personalized things for her room because I had never taken down the things that said "Caitlin" when the 2 older girls moved to their bunk beds...


Her Libby sign from Autn Katie..and her Libby bank from Gma and Gpa.


Her Libby Winnie the Pooh sign from the Blandfords.

Rob and I were also spoiled!  In addition to our big Secret Santa gifts, we also had so much fun with the guys gift (tradition started years ago) and girts gifts.  Guys gifts included:  Notre Dame shirt, sensor light, rubs for meat, and Moonshine book.  Some of the best guy gifts ever (would have been better if there had been a coozie....thanks Jules ;)!)  Girls gifts included bracelets, gift certificates, exfoliant, body wash, and coffee mug.  Those gifts are as much fun to shop for as they are to recieve!!!!

We put the girls to sleep at my parents around 8:00, then the adults opened gifts.  Arond 10:00, it was time to head home.  The car ride home is always my favorite because the girls look at the window so intensely.  This time, they saw Rudolph's red nose flashing!  ;)  When we got home, we got Santa his cookies, milk, and shot (to keep him warm), we put the reindeer food outside (something the girls make at school), we read The Night Before Christmas, and then we went to bed and let Santa work his magic!!!!

Next up..Christmas Day!

Breakfast with Santa and Christmas Concerts

I'm not even going to try to justify why I'm still at the first week of December..and we are into 2013.  I'm just going to catch up!  :)

The first weekend in December was Breakfast with Santa.  Since Libby was only a week old, we decided that I'd stay home with her (as much as I really, really, really wanted to go) and Rob would take the girls.  Rob has taken the girls to 2 out of the last 3 of these alone (I had the flu once)....


My 3 girls before the brunch. 


Breakfast with Luca!  These are the 3 amigos for sure!!!!


It came as no surprise to anyone that Caitlin wouldn't sit on Santa's lap.  This fear of Santa has even continued past Christmas...everytime she hears a noise when she's sleeping, she cries about Santa being outside.  I guess the thought of a 250 man being able to come into the house whenever he wants is a little scary!

The last 2 days of school were the girls Christmas Concerts at school.  It's always a highlight of the school year.  I love this school because they get to sing CHRISTmas songs, not holiday songs!  Their favorite was the song that goes "Ho, Ho, Ho Hosannah.  Ha, Ha, Ha-lelluia.  He, He, He, He saved Me.  I've got the joy of the Lord!"  So sweet!  I knew Caitlin would sing her heart up on stage..and she did!  At the end, they asked who's birthday we celebrate on Christmas, and my little pipsqueak (being the youngest in the concert) yelled "Baby Jesus" as loud as could be.  Her teacher was so proud!  :)


Caitlin front and center because they knew she'd sing!  I love this picture because the 4 kids above Caitlin are 4 of the kids in my classroom..it's really fun to see my peanut...and my peanuts!!!


Do you know how every kid has one teacher that they never will forget and will talk about for the rest of their lives?  Well, this is that teacher to my girls.  Mrs. K. is the teacher of all teachers..and I'm so lucky both my girls have had her!!!


Attempt at a group picture after Caitlin's concert. Oh yeah, I should also mention that I bought her a Christmas dress this year, and she only wanted to wear this one which Abigial wore 2 years ago.  So much for my theory that every kid should have a new dress on Christmas.  My new theory is every kid should have a Christmas dress they want to wear...one that makes them twirl non-stop and look at themselves in the mirror 100 times as proud as can be!

Leaving this concert was the bummer day for me....our car wouldn't start after the concert.  I finally got it started and drove it right to our mechanic.  It ended up being some EXPENSIVE coils that I don't even know what they do...and we spent from 11:00-2:30 at the mechanic.  Picture it:  2 girls in Christmas dresses crawling on the floor.  No lunch.  Unlimited access to water bottles...unlimited trips to the mechanic bathroom in these dresses.  No entertainment.  Baby who wants to eat...a lot...being fed in the mechanic's bathroom.  Baby has "explosion" and has to be stripped of clothes..and all I have is a boy's onsie (short sleeved)...which lead to many comments about my "son" and "Why is he dressed like this in the winter?" by the old ladies there.  Did I mention no lunch?  Mechanics opening their Christmas gifts to give my kids cookies cause they are starving!  It was quite an "adventure"...and I was forever grateful to finally be home with a car that works!

The following day was Abigail's concert...so once again we had to get all dressed up.  2 days in a row of baths, 3 girls dressed with hair done, Christmas gifts for teachers, and out of the house by 9:00.  I was tired!  :)


Apparently this is the only picture I took of her.  and you could NOT see her because she was behind the girl front and center with the blond hair and black dress on. She's actually in the very middle next to Luca...but you can't see her!


My 3 girls after the concert.  Caitlin Libby (poor Libby..she gets called Caitlin 100 times a day) stayed sleeping in her sling the entire concert (both concerts actually).


Abigail and Luca's 3rd and final Christmas concert together. 


Have I mentioned that the girls go to the most AMAZING sitter when I'm teaching?  We were so lucky to find her..and my girls LOVE LOVE LOVE her and miss her and can't wait to go back.  Izabella (sitter) gave Abigail her birthday gift...and singing Ariel barbie.  She pretty much died and gone to heaven with it...until Daddy put it in the bathtub.  If you were wondering...Barbies that sing can NOT be immerged in water.  She now sounds like a man coughing....but Abigial's holding out that her voice will come back!  :)

That was the craziness that lead into Abigail's birthday party (already posted) which lead right into Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!!!!!  Coming next....