We moved!

So....we moved!  This is been in the works for a while now.  We decided that we wanted to downsize so that I can be home more with the children, work part-time, and put family first.  We are super excited about our new place.  We feel like we "made out like bandits" (as Neil says) with our new home. 

We sold our house in less than a month to some people that we know from Bennett's old school.  It was a long, back-and-forth process, but we finally closed.

Living in the house after the movers came means eating dinner on the window sill and sitting on the floor.

Welcome to our new home!  We are calling it Lewis Hideaway because it a little house tucked back on 2 acres in the middle of a neighborhood.  I love pulling down the tree-lined, private driveway.  We like when people say things like "I saw it but didn't think I could go down the driveway." Anyway, we are just thrilled that the kids will grow up with room to roam.  Yes, we have a smaller house, but we are learning to live more efficiently.  I realized I don't need five 9x13 casserole dishes.

We will be painting this house soon.  Can't wait!

Here's our backyard.  This tree is our favorite.

view from the front door

All of our boxes in the garage waiting to be unpacked.  It is dwindling by the day. :(

We had the fireplace painted day 1.

We painted our room "sterling."

Leslie helped me pick out a paint color for Sarah Kathryn's room...grape mist.  Neil said he wanted to do her room in purple and not pink.  Look at him with that opinion!

More to come on the house as we get settled.  We've been here a week and are loving it!

Our Henry

Oh Henry!  You are such a joy!  You are full of personality and spunk.  You are a defiant little thing and will just stare at us through squinted eyes if we ask you to do something.  You are STUBBORN too!  I love your happy attitude and your sweet hugs and kisses.  You are so sweet to your sister and VERY proud of her.  You like to say she is your sister and not Bennett's.

You and Bennett have gotten into teasing each other.  You say "I got to turn off the light and youuuuuuu didn't" in that sing-songy way we like to tease people.  It is hilarious because you are trying to be just like Bennett. 

You are very accident prone.  It seems like you always have bruises or scratches on your arms and legs.  You like to eat and do fun, crafty things that make huge messes.  You love being dirty, muddy, and wet, but you do NOT like being sticky!  

You fell at school and bumped your mouth on a bench and we had to take you to the dentist to make sure nothing was damaged.  You had 2 huge pockets of blood on your gums.  Ouch!  You were so good at the dentist when they checked you out.

This is the pic I sent to Neil before we went to the dentist.

Bennett got to go to Ruston for a few days so we just had Henry and Sarah Kathryn.  We are really trying to make it a point to do things one-on-one with Henry.  We had a fun little ice cream date with just us two.

 You would say  "only me and Mommy are going, not Bennett, not Sarah Krafren, not Daddy, not Nana, not Granddad, and not Miso!"  You got Spiderman icecream with Pop Rocks in it.  When you would eat a pop rock you would get quiet and say "something's in my mouth!"

On our way to the car-wash!  You LOVE the car wash!

We were having a huge issue with you pooping in the potty.  You would just go right in your pants!  We decided to load up and go to Toys R Us to pick out a poop prize.  When you got your 5 stickers you won Marshall, the "Paw Control" (It's really Paw Patrol) dog.  It sat on the mantle for about a week before you go it!

Way to go BIG boy!!

I cannot believe you are almost 3 years old!  You keep saying "I got that toy at my birthday party" when you are playing with something random.  You say you want a "minja turtle" party!  

Once we put you in your bed, you come out and say "I need my two kisses and my two hugs."   And what mommy and daddy can resist that??  Not us!  

You say things like "I love you in that moon!"  We love you in that moon, too!!

Sarah Kathryn is TWO months old!

 Doctor appointment:  We went today! (4/23)
Weight: 11 lbs 15 ounces   75th percentile

Height: 24 inches   95th percentile

Head: 15 inches    50th percentile

Clothes: You wear size 1 diapers...in fact you came home from the hospital in size 1 because you are such a big girl.  We really need to move up to a 2 but we have so many 1 diapers open we will use them until they are gone.  You wear mostly 3 month, 3-6 month, and recently a 6-9 month outfit! The newborn stuff fits, but is small on you.

Eating:  You eat a 4 ounce bottle every three hours.  We've tried to give you more but you end up spitting it all up.  You will let us know if you are hungry!  

Henry loved getting in on your photo shoot.  He loves you so much.

Sleeping:  You like to nap during the day just randomly.  You are certainly not on any type of a schedule yet.  You will nap on the play mat, in the car seat, or in the bouncy seat.  Usually when I put you in your bed, you wake right up!  At night, your last bottle is between 8-9 pm and you usually sleep until about 3-4 am.  You take your bottle and most of the time go back to sleep until 6-7 am.  I hope we can drop that 3-4 am feeding soon!

Likes:  being held, the bouncy seat, car seat, riding in the car, riding in the stroller, eating, the paci (sometimes), baths, your brothers

Dislikes: getting dressed, having the paci shoved in your mouth by a brother, when the car stops, being strapped in the carseat, and shots (you had 3 today).

News this month:  You are smiling more and more.  You started Gymboree and it wears you out!  Dr. Crittell commented on how much a mover you are.  I can put you on your playmat and you can rotate 90 degrees just by kicking around.  You even went to the zoo!  I call you my "beauty queen" but Daddy thinks it sounds like I want to put you in pageants or something...no way!  You are just so pretty!  You are smiling so much more.  Bennett found a like ticklish spot on your foot and he loves to show people!

Summer Week 3

We've been trucking along this summer.  I didn't realize how much Bennett and Henry really need constructive things to do.  Bennett went to camp and LOVED it.  The camp "traveled" to a different country each day and he would ask "where am I going tomorrow?"   Henry has been getting bored at home and has been loving going to school.  I send him 2-3 days a week.  I feel guilty the whole time he is there, but Neil tells me he runs right in to play.

Bennett and I play this Skylander Swapforce Trouble-like game ALL. THE. TIME.  Henry comes over and knocks all the pieces out and we start over.  Bennett is really good and knows all the rules.

Gammy got Sarah Kathryn this new play mat and she loves kicking around while looking at the lights and things hanging down. 

We joined a pool!  yippee for somewhere to cool down!  Sister got in her bathing suit and loved the water!

Oh, I love these people.  They loved the pool.  When we got in the car to go home Bennett said "I am so proud of you Sarah Kathryn, you did a good job swimming!"  Henry just swam around and played with a water gun.  At one point he walked over to the little fountain area and a girl shot him in the face with the gun!  He grabbed it and ran off!

I am loving my girl in purple!  Her eyes look brown in this picture, but in person they are blue.  

Some Sunday school friends met at the pre-school playground at church for a play-date.  It was so fun to play with like-minded moms.  I took Henry and SK because Bennett was at camp.

This sweet boy thinks he is the baby...he is my baby boy!

I said farewell to Emily at her farewell brunch.  They are getting their dream of moving back to North Carolina after being in Shreveport for 5 years.  So excited for them to be near family!

Father's Day 2014

We had a really nice Father's Day.  We let Daddy sleep in while the rest of the house was wide awake at 6:30.  The boys gave Neil his Saints football, coffee tumbler, and new tennis shoes.  Bennett walked around Dick's searching for the perfect gift for Neil.  He said "I just know Daddy is going to love this football."  

He gave it to Neil and he was so proud!  Henry helped by opening the gifts.

Neil said he just wanted to stay home and grill so that's just what we did.  We had a slider bar with pulled pork, burgers, and chicken.  I bought a bunch of toppings and it was pretty delish!

Everyone loved the ice cream cake we had at my brother's birthday so I decided to get another for Father's Day.

Since we hope to be moving on June 30th, we took everyone to our (hopefully) new house.  We just love the property!

Dad with me and the kids

Richard with his kids and grandkids

all of the Lewis crew

Nana and Granddad with their grandbabies

Gammy with her grandbabies

And this is the best one with Pops and the kids!  They were DONE with pictures by this time!

Happy Father's Day to the world!  Neil, you should be the advertisement for how a daddy should be.  I am so glad you are ours!

Week 2 of Summer

Our summer has been very, very, very low-key.  I try to get fun things planned for the boys, but I am afraid I am just tapped out with Baby Girl to do as much as we normally do.  I feel guilty when we stay home and do nothing, but my mom had to remind me that the boys do NOT have to be entertained constantly.  I agree!  Reigning it in now.

We have had meals brought to us for the last 7 weeks and it has been the biggest blessing.  I cannot explain how nice it is to not have to worry about making a meal.  About 20 different families chipped in every other night for the last 7 weeks.  Amazing.

The Howard's brought Papa Murphy's and got little pizzas for the boys...they love making their own food.  Henry stacked all his pepperonis in 1 stack and used all of his cheese ad Bennett's leftover cheese.  Bennett put one tiny pile of cheese in the center and his pepperonis all around the cheese.  Such a difference!

Preakness picked up this beauty along with 3 others.

We've been spending a lot of time at the library.  The boys love the computers.  Bennett got his library card and always wants to "buy" stuff with it.

We went back to church after 6 weeks!  Sister wore bloomers for the first time and I loved showing them off!

We sent the boys to Ruston for the weekend to stay with Nana and Granddad so we could pack.  Our packing was cut short when Henry's arm was pulled out of socket.  I happened to call Nana to check on the boys and I heard Henry screaming.  She said that they were playing rough and Bennett jerked his arm hard and pulled it out.  Bennett felt horrible and was crying and kept trying to tend to Henry.  I am so glad he felt bad because I would have been worried if he didn't care about his brother. When she said Henry was holding his wrist I knew that it was out.  They loaded up and headed to Minden and we did the same. We got to Henry and he kept saying "my arm hurts." Poor, pitiful thing.  It was so sad.  I got him an Icee and he wouldn't touch it...he must have been in pain! I called every medical person I knew to see if they could get it back in for us because all of the "quick care" places were closed.  They all said they couldn't do it and to go to the ER.  Neil said he thought he could get it back in place because he had seen it done two other times! No!  Neil took Henry to the ER because he said I freak out too much and cry more than Henry.  I know he is right, but I still wanted to be there.  I got SK and B to bed while H was at the ER.  Neil brought him home and he acted like nothing had even happened!

getting it all loaded up...  :(    Henry looked in the cabinet and said "where are all my books?"

Sarah Kathryn meets Gymbo!

I am so excited that Sarah Kathryn started Gymboree!  I love that all my babies have gotten to enjoy this with me.  I love taking them and really do feel that's why my kids had such great head control.  And it's where I've met some great people like Casey and Ashleigh.

Sarah Kathryn did a great job, but it wore her out!  She fell asleep at the end.  Here are the boys at Gymboree: Bennett and Henry

Tummy time with the big mirror

This girl is the cutest thing!!!!  I can't get enough!

She was literally falling asleep by this point

Stylish Girl

I noticed I've been taking lots of pictures of Sarah Kathryn wearing all the outfits people have given her.  It is so much fun to get her all dressed up.  I used to just let the boys roam around in pjs at this age, but not Sarah Kathryn!  She likes to be dressed up!

ruffle pjs from Jessie

sweet blue and yellow from Leslie

The Beville's gave her this swimsuit and I just couldn't resist trying it on my girl!

Sandals from Megan and outfit from Mallory

Bubble from Sarah and burp cloth from Lynsie (LOVE THIS BURP CLOTH!)

I just thought she looked so cute in this tutu outfit from Jan

This sweet outfit from Trish is one of my favs!