March 2

There was supposed to be a major snow and ice storm today. Church was cancelled, and we prepared to hunker down at home.

It didn't pan out.

But it ended up being an absolutely perfect day for us. We all needed a day to putter around the house, with no responsibilities and nothing to do, and that's just what we got.

I did lots of laundry today. Everything in our house is now clean - all the sheets, all the towels, all the rugs, all the clothes. No more sickness!

Lily helped me fold laundry.

OK, actually, maybe she just distracted me.

(Guess what she's looking at.)

Let's be honest: the baby didn't get in the laundry basket on her own. She totally distracted me. But we had so much fun!

(She looks so cheerful and perky - can you guess why?)

Yep. She was cheerful because Caleb came in the room. He was pretending to be a giant, and he wanted me to pretend that his footsteps sounded like thunder.

I know it's blurry, but he was so happy, and that makes my heart happy.

But back to the baby in the laundry basket. Hello, cuteness!

After all the laundry was folded, I got to work on a sewing project. As I worked, I was vaguely aware that Caleb and Daisy were playing in the room with me. Then I realized that Daisy was singing. And that she had grabbed a microphone. And when I noticed that Caleb had his guitar, I had to stop working on my project and get out the camera. 

My favorite part about this is that it was totally their idea. Part of the reason this morning was so wonderful is that it was full of collaborative, cooperative play between these two, and that they played without needing any adult intervention. They played, Lily napped, I sewed, and Chris did our taxes.

Lovely.

And later, this.

Yes, she's holding the book and grinning up at Daddy while he reads to her.

Yes, this former English teacher's heart melted on many different levels.

And then much later, this.

Chris and the big kids were out running errands, and this girl decided that afternoon naps were for fools. I needed to make dinner and she needed to be held, so up she went.  Love it!

March 1

Well.

Chris started puking at 8:30 last night.

Caleb started puking at 1:30 this morning.

Daisy started puking at 10:30 this morning.

I was sick last weekend.

The only one unaccounted for is Lily, and I'm praying that the magical powers of breastmilk will keep her healthy.

But.

No one was actively sick for more than a few hours, and now our bathrooms are cleaner than they've been in a long time, the kitchen floor is freshly scrubbed, and all of the beds in the house have fresh, clean sheets. Thank God I had this bug first and had time to recover before it hit everyone else! No one ever wants to be sick, but Chris and I agree that the timing of this virus was pretty near perfect. 

However, I am officially done with winter and sickness. Hurry, spring!

After Caleb was feeling better, I snapped these pictures of him with Lily.

She was sitting in her chair at the table, watching her big brother.

She adores him. I'm pretty sure that big brothers and big sisters are pretty near the same thing as superheroes. Anytime Caleb laughs, Lily responds with a belly laugh. Whatever he's doing, she wants to see. She loves him.

 

Look at her reaching for him!

(I promise she's not sticking her tongue out at me - she's just sticking it out.)

And then he caught her hand and gave it a kiss.

Can you see her thinking, "Do it again, Brother! Do it again!"

February 28

Exactly a week ago, just as the kids were going to bed, I got hit by a stomach bug.

I am just now feeling normal again.

And what happens? Tonight, just as the kids are going to bed, Chris gets sick.

As I tucked Caleb in, he said, "Mommy, my tummy hurts." Dear Lord, I pray he doesn't get it, too.

Worst. Winter. Ever.

 I am so ready for it to be over with.

But here - here are some pictures of a smiley baby! Let's pray she doesn't start puking, too!

Bulldozers are made to be chewed on, right?

Then Caleb started playing peek-a-boo with her.

He is clearly the funniest, most amazing brother ever.

(That's his knee in the bottom right corner. I just couldn't fit all of him in the frame since I'm still shooting with my 50mm lens.)

Goodness. Isn't she the sweetest thing ever? I love how you can just kind of see how she raises her left eyebrow when she smiles. Left eyebrow up, right corner of her mouth open and down - it's a beautifully crooked smile, and I love it!

Now. Let's pray I get some sleep tonight, and that I only have one sickie to tend to in the morning!

February 27

I'm writing this post from my phone because Chris is using the computer to finish a paper for grad school. In over four years of blogging, I've never before blogged from my phone.

I already wrote this whole post once (spent thirty minutes on it), but I accidentally deleted it. It was a great post. But this time, you'll get more pictures and less words. 

After we took Caleb to preschool today, the girls and I visited the Butterfly House. When I suggested the outing to Daisy, she initially refused. She wanted to go home and watch Sesame Street! (That's what she gets to do on preschool days when I need to keep her occupied whole I put Lily down for a nap.) Finally, I convinced her that the Butterfly House would be fun.

I was right. They had some new toys, like this magnet wall.

And of course, Daisy loved the puzzles.

I wore Lily in the ring sling most of the time.

At one point I took her out so she could see the butterflies on her terms. She was suspicious at first,

But soon she loved it! She kept laughing and trying to grab the butterflies. I took a video of it. Hopefully this link works; I can't figure out how to embed the video from my phone. 

http://youtu.be/kzv0TICtVIk

Daisy insisted I take this picture. It was right after a butterfly briefly landed on her head (not on her back, as she claims in the video).

As we made our way through the conservatory, Lily kept reaching out to grab butterflies. There were so many that I was really afraid she might be successful! Luckily, she wasn't. I tried to get a picture of it, but failed miserably. 

All in all, a fun morning! However, Caleb was very upset when he heard how we spent our morning. We may have to go back tomorrow!

February 26

Last week, we were supposed to have a playdate with MOPS friends, but it was cancelled due to ice. It was rescheduled for today, and the kids were so excited! We played at a showroom for outdoor playsets; it was a big warehouse filled with fifteen or twenty different swingsets and slides and clubhouses, and the kids loved it! Sadly, I couldn't be bothered to take pictures. But trust me - it was fun!

And then all three kids napped and I tried to lie down because I had a headache, but just as I closed my eyes, Miss Lily woke up. Boo. Caleb woke a little bit later, and Daisy slept until dinner time!

I gave Lily some applesauce at dinner, and it was really funny. She's still figuring out how to use her tongue to move food to the back of her mouth, then swallow, so when I spooned the applesauce in her mouth, she just let it loll around on her tongue. Caleb started laughing, and when Lily realized he was laughing because of her, she started laughing, too.

"What? Are you laughing at ME?"

"Ha! Well, I guess it is pretty funny!"

See the applesauce in her mouth?

Happy girl!

February 25

We got a double-dose of my mom today; first, she came over to play with Daisy while Caleb was at preschool and Lily was napping, so that I could take a nap. I'm still not feeling 100% after that stomach bug over the weekend, and I was thrilled that she was willing to give me an hour to rest! (No, I'm not pregnant. Sheesh, people!) Then she came by again later to see Lily and Caleb and have quality time with me. 

I have a pretty good mom. :)

But I didn't take any pictures of that. I did, however, take pictures of Lily at lunchtime. I gave her some butternut squash and a cracker, and she was enthralled with the cracker. 

(Yes, we are 95% gluten-free over here. But our doctor mentioned a study that babies are more likely to be gluten-intolerant if they aren't exposed to gluten while they're young and still breastfeeding. We happen to have crackers right now, so Lily got a cracker!)

This is pretty much how all of my children react anytime we give them a product that contains wheat: unbridled delight.

Who am I kidding? I react the same way! I loooove wheat. It's too bad our bodies don't love wheat, too!

Girl went to town on that cracker.

Yum.

I know, Lily. I think Saltines are spectacular, too.

February 24

I turned 33 today (it feels really weird to type that...), so Chris took the day off work and we celebrated as a family. Chris did a great job making sure I got my birthday wishes: a nap, and no cooking.

In the morning, we had a family adventure to the Arch. It's been on my to-do list for a while, and today was the perfect day for it! I made the conscious decision to leave my big camera at home; for one, it's big, and for another, I just don't want to use it as much without my good lens. Luckily, the repair place received my lens today and should begin repairing it tomorrow. Hooray!

At the Arch, ready to get in our tram car. We were assigned #4, which made Caleb pretty happy.

I love Lily's sweet little eyes, peeking out from the Ergo and her hood.

Dark, but cute. I love my little darlings!

In our tram car. I love their faces. Caleb is suspicious, and Daisy is excited.

I couldn't  fit the whole family in the shot, so I took one of just my handsome husbando and me. He planned our whole outing, and I was surprised and delighted by it!

He wore Lily the whole time, which was nice. I'm still feeling a little bit iffy after that stomach bug hit Friday night. And Lily's crusty nose should be a dead giveaway that she's not feeling so hot, either!

At the top! Daisy was so excited to lay on her belly and get up close for a look out the window. Caleb wasn't so sure, and preferred to look with his feet planted on the ground.

Top of the Arch selfie!

And another top of the Arch selfie. (Did you notice his red scarf? I finished knitting it last night during Downton Abbey's season finale. He was so excited that it was finally finished! Now, to make him a matching hat...)

Goodness. I realize this is a ridiculous picture: Daisy's red-eyed and saying, "Cheese!", and Caleb is so nervous about the fact that he's solely in charge of holding Lily. But Lily looks cute, and it's my three babies together, so I call this picture a keeper.

Chris took Lily out so she could get a look, and she was really interested in looking out the window!

Caleb only allowed himself to be put up on his belly like this if I had my body over his, holding him in place. I confess: I didn't mind the snuggle.

Happy birthday to me!

When we got back down to the bottom, Caleb and Daisy did a BINGO scavenger hunt in the attached museum. They each earned a "Junior Ranger" badge for their efforts. Can you tell Daisy was excited about it?

We were up there!

It really was a beautiful day, but boy it was cold!

And there's our cute little family: Caleb looking at the Arch, Chris with Lily buttoned inside his coat, and Daisy scooting down the steps on her bottom.

We returned home, where Chris prepared lunch for everyone, and all three children went down for naps. I gave Chris a much-needed haircut, then headed off to the gym to burn some calories so that I could enjoy a guilt-free piece of birthday cake tonight. After the gym, I took an uninterrupted shower (oh, the luxury!) and then a nap. I woke up to feed Lily, and Chris began making dinner. After dinner, a visit from Chris' family, and now Chris is cleaning up the day's dishes. 

All in all, a great birthday!

February 23

Chris and I serve in the nursery at church once a month, and today was our turn. We lucked out, because Lily was hilarious today!

The little girl in red is 11 months old, and she was way past her nap time. She resisted snuggling with any of us, but instead crawled up to Lily and laid her head in Lily's lap.

Lily loved it! Can you tell from this blurry cell phone picture that Lily immediately grabbed the girl's hair and began petting/pulling it? The sweet little thing didn't even mind - she just laid there while Lily (not so gently) stroked her hair.

See? The blurry hand is because she was pulling her hair.

Oh! Is she giving her friend a kiss?

Nope. Just trying to eat her hair. Or maybe eat her face. Regardless, it was hilarious! I was so glad we were there to witness it!

February 22

Well.

I was done being sick by 11:30 last night, and Lily was kind and only woke once to nurse during the night. My husband was even kinder and took care of me, then did the work of snuggling Lily back to sleep after she ate. (He may or may not have spent a minimum of three hours sleeping in the recliner in her room, with her in his lap, during the course of the night. Luckily, he swears that chair is really comfortable for sleeping.)

I'm not back to 100% yet - maybe 50% - but the plus side is that I lost six pounds in twelve hours. Maybe I can keep that off? Just a few more stomach bugs, and I'll be down to my goal weight!

Since I'm not fully functioning yet, Chris played with the kids all day while I napped and took no pictures. Then they accompanied me to the grocery store, where I pointed at items and Chris and the children placed them in the cart. It was like having my own team of servants, except that I had to corral the little ones and hold their hands and remind them to place things gently  in the cart.

So. Your one photo of the day is a cell phone picture of us at the grocery store.

This was Chris' first time wearing Lily on his back in the Ergo. I realize that she looks really uncomfortable, but she was actually leaning like that so that she could look at the lights on the ceiling. Meanwhile, Chris was Super Dad, wearing the baby and pushing the big kids in the Rocket Ship cart.

And yes, we're in the bakery section, but no, we didn't buy fresh bagels. Our store carries these gluten-free muffins, which are an occasional splurge for us on the Sunday mornings when we have to leave the house at 8 am. They're super-tasty, if a bit pricey. We can eat very few "easy" things, so these are worth it.

Oh, but this just happened:

Sorry for the crummy lighting - Photoshop is being weird - but I love this image of my three children playing together. I love that Caleb and Daisy love playing with Lily. I hate that they always want to play with her toys, though. What is it about baby toys that makes them so appealing to big kids?

But I love that my children adore each other, and I love that there is more independent play happening in my house. I think Lily may be getting to the age where I might be able to accomplish things again. Hooray for that! I have a serious list of unfinished projects to tackle...

February 21

I'm amazed I'm blogging at all tonight; a stomach virus hit me right after dinner, and I've been sick for the past two hours. But I think my system has been completely emptied, and I know how some of you (*ahem* Mom) worry when I don't blog, so here it is.

I'm so thankful that I didn't get sick until after Chris was home, after dinner was made, after kids were (mostly) in bed. Now I'm just praying this thing is over with when I wake up in the morning, and that Lily will be kind and sleep tonight.