These three.

Maybe it's the new year. Or maybe it's the fact that I only have 5 weeks until my due date (and I know life is about to drastically change!). Whatever the reason, I am feeling especially sappy about my children. I feel an urgency to record the stage they are in at this moment. A need to memorialize life as we know it RIGHT NOW. To remember them pre-baby brother. Because gosh I love these three kids!

 

 

 

Isaiah

 

 

This kid is so laid back and relaxed. He definitely is his father's son because he didn't get it from me! He is constantly telling Charlotte not to worry (see below). Running late to school? No big deal! Forgot to turn in his homework? Oh well there's always tomorrow. He just rolls with the punches. He still loves his rainbow looms! He loves to craft and create things in general. A recent obsession has been origami. Legos are still a favorite. The kid just has an engineering brain. For the most part he plays great with his sisters. And he is an avid reader these days. He would read for HOURS at night if we allowed it (but we try to limit it to 60 minutes so he can get some sleep). Speaking of sleep. He is like his father - he requires very little sleep and has boundless energy. He's a night owl and a morning person. 

This is going to sound dumb, but I am constantly amazed at how BIG Isaiah is. Not just in size but age and maturity as well. I look at him and just can't believe I have a kid that is so capable and independent in so many ways. He's like a real kid. Not a little kid anymore. (If that makes sense). And him and I are in such a good place at the moment. For the most part he is very respectful and affectionate towards me. And this is NOT where we were a year ago in our relationship. A year ago I was struggling majorly with Isaiah. Our relationship felt distant and cold. He was rude and defiant. And in turn I was harsh and...honestly....floundering in mothering him. I cried a lot of tears and said a lot of prayers. I felt like I was losing him. A year ago I would have said I had failed him. I felt hopeless in in regards to Isaiah...and it scared the crap out of me! I honestly don't know what changed. I don't know how we got to where we are today but I am SO THANKFUL that we are here. It's amazing the difference a year can make! And my prayer is that we can stay in this place even as we transition to life with another baby.

 

Charlotte

 

Ok. So just picture the opposite of Isaiah (in regards to being relaxed) and you have Charlotte. This girl worries like it's her job! She is constantly asking me "what's that noise?" and "where are going mommy?" and "is that okay to do?". She wants to know the rules and expectations at all times. And she is going to make sure everyone is following said rules...especially Hannah! Admittedly she comes by this worry wart personality honestly...from me:(  Her world is black and white. Right and wrong. No in between. Unfortunately for her, her siblings don't always see it that way. 

This girl is always saying the funniest things. But what makes them so funny is she isn't trying to be funny. Just her four year old observations. Like the other day after she threw up (yep, she got it too!) she said to me, "well mom, it's a good thing when you threw up you didn't throw up baby brother."  Good thing indeed. 

Her current obsessions are all things "Frozen", telling Hannah what to do/not to do and school. She loves school! The structure and consistency and routine of it all is so good for her. Oh and me. She is EXTREMELY attached to me. Maybe even a little unhealthily so. For example, my going to the bathroom and leaving her behind (when not at home) can cause serious anxiety in her. She is also my girly-girl. She loves dresses and jewelry. She likes for me to do her hair and makeup. She wears leggings or skinny jeans every day. No regular jeans for her. It is important to her to look cute/presentable...and I love it:) Although some of the outfit combinations she picks can be quite interesting! She still LOVES to help in the kitchen. Baking is her favorite, but cooking is good too. I am getting glimpses of the big kid she is becoming...and it's bittersweet. Her sweet big baby cheeks are disappearing even! 

Hannah

 

Oh Hannah! Where do I even begin? This girl is so full of life and spunk. And opinions! She is two and half in every sense of the way. So independent and defiant...in an equal parts cute and frustrating way! I am either grinning ear-to-ear because of this girl or pulling my hair out! There is no in between. And she talks! ALL THE TIME! A year ago I never would have believed that. But she is the cutest little chatterbox - that sometimes I just want to be quiet:)  Never would you know she was speech delayed. She's funny. When she breaks a rule purposefully she will put herself in timeout afterwards. Or she will ask ahead of time what her consequence will be for a "crime" she wants to commit. This girl is my replica. I was that child. And my mom is LOVING watching me trying to handle Hannah. She always said I deserved a child just like me. And I got her in Hannah. Oh and she is a ragamuffin. Seriously look up "ragamuffin" in the dictionary and you will find Hannah's picture! I try to make her look presentable. But most of the time she has her hair in her eyes with food smudged on her face and is wearing mismatched clothes that are on backwards. And she couldn't care less! (And it drives Charlotte crazy.) She is NOT a girly-girl. 

This girl is like her brother and filled with boundless energy and seems to require very little sleep...bedtime is such a struggle with her. Thankfully she is still napping beautifully in the afternoon. (I need that break!)  

There have been some big changes for Hannah recently. First off, I can confidently say she is out of diapers (except when sleeping). It was a very sloooow transition...mostly because I am big, pregnant & lazy. We went with a "toddler lead potty training" method. In other words we left the potty chair and underwear out and available to her and she used them as she desired. Gradually that became more frequent. And now she has been accident free and in undies for a few weeks. It's amazing! (And as soon as I hit publish she will regress and I will have to recant everything I wrote.  Because that's life.) The other big change is I finally moved her clothes out of the changing table baskets (which is in our room) and into...well...a cupboard in the kids' room. (Yes a dresser would be nicer but it's in storage. So we are making do!) And Hannah thinks this is THE BEST! She is so proud to have her stuff in her room. (Again this bothers Charlotte. A cupboard is not for clothes!) Which means I now have room to bring out baby brother's things. Yay! Speaking of baby brother, Hannah is getting very excited for him to come out and asks me multiple times a day "how baby boy come out?" To which I vaguely respond "at the hospital". She wants to hold him  and to be a big sister just like "Tarlotte". She gives him lots of hugs & kisses and instructions to "be good". That last one I find ironic. 

So that's my kids in a nutshell. The good, the bad, the funny. And I love them. And I can't imagine life without each one of them. But what I really can't imagine is life with them PLUS one more. It's going to be a wild ride. That I know for sure. 

And now for a bonus. In case you ever wanted to see an old(er) guy snow tubing with his little dog....I present to you...my dad & Eddie! 

 

Yes they are an odd pair. And yes it was even funnier to see in person!