Austin 6 week Valentine

 My sweet little Valentine, finally pink enough to get some pictures.

Surviving January

 I used to really like the month of January, a new fresh beginning, beautiful snow, it's hard to feel down about your birthday month . . . unless maybe you had your 4th baby the month before.  January was a long one and yet it went by very fast.  Somedays were better then others. As long as I don't have to go anywhere, 4 kids isn't too bad. But ya eventually we're gonna need groceries.  Oh man I don't mean to sound like such a wimp I'll just say I feel a bit like I'm being put through motherhood boot camp and I am not quite in shape.  Jared did for the first time since I've known him make me a birthday cake and topped it with all 32 candles, seems crazy that 16 years ago I was turning 16.  I do fantasize a bit about a Downton Abby lifestyle with a maid, a cook, nanny, butler, and chauffeur, but I have gotten lots of help in all of these areas from my family and Jared.  Couldn't have made it without them.

 Right now Monday nights come with a bit of dread in that homework, dinner, baths and bed are quite enough to fill up the night and wear us out.  So unfortunately FHE when we can force ourselves to do it, is very much an afterthought.  Bronson was in charge of the activity and taught us about exercising.  Jared didn't have much luck with push-ups with these guys on his back.

 Bottoms up 

 How to do a push up . . . by Blake Buckley

 When the stars are aligned and the baby is getting a good nap and the house isn't a total disaster . . we may just pull out a few things to make some fun projects.  

 Cute little baldy, about to get a lot balder.  Austin slept in our room for a while with his light bed, then after that it was hard to put him in his room, he may have spent a few hours in bed next to me in the wee small hours of the morning, mostly because it worked to get him to go and stay asleep and I was much too sleepy to do anything else.

 We had to do it sometime, I'm not a fan of baby grandpa hairstyles so off it went.  

 This is me on the first day of my quest to lose weight, I'm happy to report that not only have I not lost weight I have gained.  So uh . . . hmmm . . . well . . . try try again.

 Austin's little admirers, I'm pretty sure Tessa has held Austin way more than my boys . . . another reality of the forth baby, taking time for sentimentality is not typically on the agenda.

 Silly Blake, he is so good at being 2.

January was a bit rough but I am very grateful for each of my boys.  Honestly I can't believe how blessed we are to have them.  It's amazing how much life changes with each new little family member, for the better of course but we just have to endure a bit of craziness for a while.

So long, farewell 2014

 The night Austin came home from the hospital we had a fun family Christmas dinner.  It was a relief to get out of the hospital and be with family and watch the kids have fun with cousins.  It had been an exhausting couple of days, though I didn't know it then we still had a long way to go, stupid jaundice.

Blake is quite the little drift racer fcx on his wiggle bike, he's a bit dangerous actually, but he had lots of fun zooming around using his cousins as obstacles to not crash into.

Jared had to pull out the Rugby ball and Grandpa and Bronson had a good game of catch.

 Sweet little baby enjoying not having a needle in his head and tape around his eyes :( We should have been sent home from the hospital to do lights at home but it wasn't until Tuesday night I think after lots more poking that we finally did.  I'm a bit mad looking back at it lots of stupid calls were made, starting in the hospital.  I'm just glad it's over.

 Grandma had cute costumes for everyone while Grandpa read the Christmas story.  I wish I would have had a video of Levi, he was so cute and excited as he came in as a little shepard.  I couldn't stop smiling watching him, he looks like he could be right out of the Charlie Brown Christmas.  He loves doing any kind of special festivities.

 Cute Boys

 I think we had these lights for about 2 weeks, not 2 days like with Blake.  Poor baby got so sick of laying in there the blue blanket on top had holes worn in many places.  We were very glad the day his level had finally made it to 10.

 Christmas - I'm afraid it was not the Christmas I imagined.  Honestly I was just glad to get it over with so we didn't have to worry about it any more.  I wouldn't recommend having a December baby to anyone, unless it was your first but even then not really.  Christmas was . . . I don't even know good but was missing a bit of magic I guess.  I think the boys noticed as well, hopefully they won't be scarred for life.

 Austin loves getting baths, he doesn't get them very often and they don't last very long . . . oh the fun realities of 4 kids.  It does become hard to live and enjoy the moment rather than thinking about what's coming next, but we are trying.

 Blake on the other hand can have 2 or even 3 showers a day sometimes.  He loves the shower and sometimes it's nice to to have a place to put him where he's not getting into trouble.  Most days I lock the hall bathroom because he'd be in the toothpaste, or lotion and soap making lovely works of art for me.  It is a bit of deja vu when Bronson was 2 and Levi was a baby. Cute little stinkers.

 Getting bigger and losing his hair on top.

 Blake got a nice little shiner from running into the corner of the table.  It's amazing two year olds survive honestly, yesterday he fell off the counter, then slid and fell on his back on the tile step that goes into our shower - ouch.

 Here is Austin's repainted nursery, a bit different than the original plan, I'm still not quite sure what the plan is with this one but it seems to work pretty well as a quiet napping place.