Wise Advice

I stumbled across some wise information from a friend the other day and posted it on our family calendar in our kitchen. It reads...



Let the OLDEST child remain a child-don't let them grow up fast with extra responsibilities.

Don't forget about the invisible MIDDLE child-plan special times with them.

Lastly, don't over spoil the BABY-be as strict with them as you were with the first and second.


*Just a good reminder as we parent our kiddos! =)

Split Ends Annoying You?

Many of you know that I grew up with curly hair, VERY curly hair and once I had my babies, it was less curly and more wavy. I had my hair stylist straighten it once and LOVED it so much that I went out and splurged on a great hair straightener called the CHI. Ever since, I've enjoyed choosing whether to wear my hair curly or straight. It's been fun. However, it has come at a price. I never used to deal with split ends before so this was new to me and recently, I've actually researched how to prevent them or get rid of them. Bad news. You can't. If you do the following, you're inviting split ends to your hair:


-coloring or dying your hair
- brushing wet hair
- using heat appliances (hair dryer, curling iron, straightener)
- using hair ties
- having a low-fat diet which can cause dull hair to be brittle and break, thus split ends


I have been guilty of all of these and so I must do the following to prevent the little suckers:


- MOST important!...having regular hair trims every 6 weeks at least
- rinse my hair with cool water in the shower
- using a leave-in conditioner
- using a shine serum
- not towel drying my hair, just blotting it dry
- waiting til my hair is 100% dry before applying a heat protectant spray/product and then straightening



One thing I thought was interesting as I was doing some research online was that some hair stylists encourage people to attempt their own hair trims! I've done this in the past, especially with having curly hair. No one ever noticed if it wasn't perfectly straight. So I may have to try this again.


I will admit to not washing my hair everyday. One, because I have three children and it's not possible! Two, it's good to let the nautral oils into your hair and scalp to encourage healthy hair growth.



Any other tips I missed ladies? Is there anything else that you do to have especially healthy hair?

Sorry there's no pictures...working on getting a camera!


We had a great visit with the pediatrician yesterday. Norah weighs 12 lbs., is in the 90% for her weight, 50% for her height and 75% for her head circumference. I was able to talk to the doctor about some of her sleeping habits as well. After talking to my wonderful sister-in-law and brother-in-law (thanks Kris and Dean for your encouragement!) and our pediatrician, I felt more confident in letting Norah cry it our for her naps during the day. She's definately a baby that likes to be held and I simply can't do that, although I do love holding her. Both of our other children never had that problem. They were content sitting in a bouncy chair or laying in their crib. As they say, every child is different and I definately belive that.



Good news...Norah slept 6 hours straight last night. Hooray!!! Normalcy is on it's way. =) She's been doing much better just in the past 24 hours wtih us needing to put her down. She's cried it out for two naps and I think she's catching on. I laid her down just a bit ago for her afternoon nap and so far so good!


Avonlea and I had another "Mommy/Daughter" date last night. We had two doctors appointments yesterday (don't know what I was thinking in scheduling them on the same day!) and the kids were really fighting for my attention as I spoke to doctors. Let's just say that I'm honest enough to admit that my son kicked (yes, kicked) my OB! Here I was, in the middle of thanking her for all she's done in delivering our three precious children and Lincoln wasn't being listened to so he kicked her. He had to apologize and sat in time out at the doctor's office. Talk about embarrassing! Avonlea had her turn at the pediatrician's office later that afternoon. I was speaking to our doctor and Avonlea needed attention so she kicked the infant car seat and quite frankly, needed an attitude check. I had to ask the doctor to give us a minute and she did calm down once I got her busy doing a puzzle. Lincoln I can understand (not that it's right), but Avonlea has been nothing but a peach the past few weeks, so it caught me off guard, reminding me that she is still a 3-year-old. I think sometimes I overlook that because she is so mature for her age. I have to remind myself that she's just a kid and she's going to act out at times and need me just as much as the other kids, just in a different way. That's when I knew she and I needed some time together, alone. We strolled out to the beach again last night and had a chat about her actions at the doctor's. I praised her for all the help she gives me in caring for the baby and being such a wonderful big sister. I explained to her that she's not always going to be able to have me sit down and do things with her whenever she wants during the day, but that's when I thought of "Special Time". Each day, after I get Lincoln down for a nap, she and I will have some special time together alone to play a quiet game, play dollhouse (her favorite) or do something else of her choice (with my approval of coarse) with me. Today, she picked playing with her doll house, so for 10 minutes, we played together and she got her little love tank filled.


Just for the record, Daddy played with Lincoln last night while Avy and I went out. It gave him some time to get his little love tank filled as well. =)

Broken...oops!

What may be broken you might say? My camera...umph. Avonlea got ahold of it and took a few pictures the other morning. No big deal. However, when she was finished I noticed that the lens wasn't going back in. Oh man! Not my camera! I'd love to have one of those really nice digital cameras that takes awesome pictures, but those are too pricy right now. Gotta wait til they come down in price. I may have to purchase a cheapo for the time being. Can't go without a camera while my little ones are growing up before our eyes! So, you won't be seeing too many pictures for the time being until we solve our dilemma. Needless to say, Avonlea won't be taking pictures with our new camera, when and if we buy one.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend with their families/friends. Nobody likes a Monday, but..."This is the day that the Lord has made. Be glad and rejoice in it!"

"Grow With Me" pictures

Lincoln @ 2 years old

Avonlea @ 3 years old

Norah @ 1 month old

I saw this idea in a magazine. They used a bathing suit, but you can use whatever you want. You take pictures of your kids with/in certain items as they grow and when you look back at the pictures, you can see their growth. I chose my wedding dress for Avonlea and Norah and Rob's football helmet for Lincoln.

Mommy and Avy Date

Rob and I have definately been adjusting to life with three children and although there are crazy times, at the end of the day, we have so much to be thankful for and we feel completely blessed. One of the tricks to having three children is making sure we get time with each of them individually. We always have time with Norah (naptime and when the other two have gone to bed for the night). I usually get some time with Lincoln because he's the first one to wake up from nap, so he and I play cars, puzzles, etc. in his room until the rest of the gang is awake. Avonlea on the other hand is the oldest, understands the most and needs the most attention right now. So, after a long day the other day (I believe most of you read the post...sniff, sigh), Rob told me to just get out of "babyland" and go do something. I took Avonlea for a mother/daughter date out to the beach and the boardwalk. We had some fun girly time and she's already asking when we can go again. =)

We started out by going out to the beach and playing in the sand, making a sand castle and writing our names. We watched some hang gliders, splashed in the water (great temperature at this time) and then headed out to the boardwalk afterwards. We watched some dolphins and got some icecream (totally off my diet right now...trying to shed 20 lbs. of post-baby weight!), but she wanted me to get some and "match" her by getting the same kind she got (rainbow). Looking forward to many mother/daughter dates in the future. =)

One of Those Days

Lack of sleep, two-year old who refuses to nap (this isn't supposed to happen yet!), newborn who also refuses to sleep during the day and potty-training a puppy = no "MOMMY TIME".


I've always prided myself on being super organized and having my kids on a great schedule that has allowed me time to myself each day (naptime) to regroup, straighten the house and get a few things done. Well, it's been one of those days. One of those days where I had to e-mail my husband to pray for me. One of those days where I called my mom to have an adult conversation and calm me down. One of those days where I had to really ask God for patience to continue on. Is it okay to let an almost one-month-old to cry for awhile because you just have to set her down since you've been holding her for an hour and a half and she STILL won't fall asleep even though her eyes are bloodshot and you know she's exhausted?

Props to a New Band

Rob and I get so excited when we find a new band that we like. So here's the website to a new band that we've found this week. I was driving around and heard this song playing on our local Christian radio station and I immediately wrote the name down at the next stop light. They're called Sidewalk Prophets and the new song we love is called The Words I Would Say. I tried to find it on You Tube so you could hear it, but I couldn't find it, so you'll have to download it from

i Tunes. It's WELL WORTH it though.

Download it today, blast it through your speakers, be inspired, thank God for His provisions and your blessings and comment and let me know how you like it.

Avonlea Makes Lunch

Rob and I decided before we even had kids that when we did, we wanted to raise them to be independant. Simple things like getting your own drink, helping make meals, cleaning up after you've made a mess, taking responsibility for yourself in various ways, etc. Well, Avonlea thrives on doing things by herself. I don't know if it's a three-year-old thing or what (since this is my first take at having a three-year-old!), but as we were driving home from the grocery store today, she was very adament on wanting to make lunch for everyone by herself. So, with a little guidance, she did and it was delicious! =)


This first picture (above) is her starting the plates with raspberries.

Next, we finished up the mac-n-cheese. I think my kids would live off of this stuff if they could! I have to actually limit it to once a week or I think they'd eat it everyday if I let them.

Here's our finished product: mac-n-cheese, baby carrots, sunflower seeds and raspberries.

This was my lunch: a wild rice with chicken casserole with a salad. The salad consisted of baby spinach, strawberries, peaches, almonds and a light vinigarette dressing. Yummo. I'd love to take credit for these dishes, but my good friend Tracey brought dinner by last night and this is her creation. Tracey, if you're reading this, I need the recipe!! =)

While My Children Slept...

I am a nerd (I know this). =) I just have to share what I accomplished today while my three children were sleeping AT THE SAME TIME! This is a big deal folks. Having three children, 3 and under doesn't give me a lot of time to clean the house or keep things the way I'd like them to normally be. So after accomplishing some simple tasks today, I thought I'd share.



This is our "Clean Up Basket" (above). Every family should have one. =) During the day, my kids get out lots of toys and scatter them throughout the house. We have fun, but at the end of the day, right before we clean up our rooms, we go around the house with the "Clean Up Basket" and put all toys that belong in a bedroom in this basket. We then visit each bedroom and deposit the toys in the corressponding bedroom. We then proceed to clean up the bedroom, get jammies on, brush teeth and go to bed.



So, here are all the toys in the "Clean Up Basket" for right now. I'm sure we'll add to it as the day continues, but the next picture is a result of the toys being in the basket...


Ahhhh...a clean living room. Sigh, tear. It doesn't always look this way. In fact, it used to look this way almost everyday at the end of the day before #3 came along, but we're getting there. =)

This is the laundry that I folded while my three children all slept AT THE SAME TIME.

This is our bed that's actually made with fresh, folded laundry. Tear, sigh. Again, while my three children slept AT THE SAME TIME. Do I need to stop saying this? I'm just overly excited!

I do have to mention that Norah slept yesterday afternoon and the older kids and I were able to play outside for over an hour (non-interrupted...just listened to the monitor) and we got the porch cleaned off and moved some things around.

What's next on my list?

-clean grill

- vacuum all carpets

- mop all floors

- catch up on dusting

We'll see if it all gets done. =)

My Matching Girls

I love Avonlea's expression here. She keeps reassuring me that she and Norah will be best friends forever. It's so cute. She can't wait to share her room and bunkbed with her, although it will be awhile.

Doesn't Lincoln look as big, if not bigger, than Avonlea here?!!

As I mentioned previously, I was able to find some cute matching girls' dresses for Avy and Norah recently at a local outlet mall. Avonlea wears a 5T and Norah is in 0-3 months. This is the only year (for awhile anyway) that I'll be able to match the girls together. I am the oldest of 4 children, 3 of us being girls, and I do remember my mom matching us all when we were younger. It was a lot of fun. Well, Avonlea LOVES matching her sister so here are some shots of the kiddos before church yesterday. I only have two matching dresses for the girls which I found at Osh Kosh. Carter's has TONS of cute matching things, but they were much more expensive. The Osh Kosh dresses I found for $4.99 each!!! Gotta snatch up that deal. I couldn't make them for that cheap.

The kids are doing well. I think the Linkster is going through a growth spurt...moody, sleeps a lot, eats a lot, etc. Avonlea has been a "gem" for the past week and I'm wondering how long it will last. Everything is (for the most part) "Yes Ma'am" or "Yes Mommy" when I ask her to do something. She does many things without me even asking like helping her brother brush his teeth, picking up after him and taking Rob's and my plates to the sink after dinner. Just sweet gestures she thinks up on her own. =) I remember a friend telling me that the age of 3 will drive you into the ground (meaning it's the new 2), and there have been days let me tell you. But, for the most part (at least this week), I have been so proud of my daughter.

Norah is doing well and by that I mean she's a typical baby. There haven't been any major long sleeping nights yet, but then again she's only 3 weeks old (today, in fact). I have found that co-sleeping, something I thought was dangerous and I would never do, has been working well for her and I. That way, I don't have to sit up to feed her. Just laying on my side to nurse and we both fall asleep. I've definately gotten more sleep with this baby versus my older two. To co-sleep, you do have to be careful though. I find myself not sleeping as soundly as I normally do, thinking about her comfort and safety first and foremost. Rob has been getting more sleep and she hasn't effected the kids' sleep either. She takes typically three naps a day (morning, afternoon and early evening), eats about every 3 hours and loves taking rides in the Baby Bjorn that I carry her in. We took a trip to a local gymnastics place today where they have open gym for toddlers and she slept the whole time in the carrier. The kids were great too and I was pretty proud of myself for being able to handle all three by myself, safely. Hooray!

All three are napping together today, so I guess I'd better get some work done around here...laundry in particular!! The more kids, the more laundry. It never ends I tell 'ya! =) But I fold it with love. (II Timothy 2:15)

Happy Belated Fourth of July!

Norah in her "get-up". =) She had a bow in her hair to match, but it disappeared somehow. (?)

Mom's homemade strawberry shortcake...yummo!

Grace and Avonlea (cousins) eating their dinner.

Gram and Norah

" Morning Mommy"... Avonlea took this photo as I was getting our Fourth of July breakfast ready.

And here's our breakfast. Red, white and blue pancakes with grapes.

We did have a great Fourth. Spent the morning lounging around. Then, headed up to some friends' for a one-year-old's birthday party by the pool. It was HOT, but that's Florida for ya'! It was SO good to see old friends we hadn't seen in forever and also, get acquainted with new friends. After the party, we headed over to mom and dad's for a cookout and fireworks. Needless to say, we didn't make it to the fireworks. Both our kids aren't crazy about them and Rob and I were falling asleep on the couch around 7:30 p.m., so we figured it was time to leave and get home to bed. =) We did hear fireworks going off in our neighborhood for a few hours after we tucked in the kids. Our neighborhood is nutty about fireworks. They love 'em. We figure we'll join them in a few years!

Catchin' Up

What's been going on around here?...

Sleepless nights, a toddler with the sniffles, Rob's back to work, I'm solo with three kiddos (going quite well actually!), rain, potty training our puppy (any tips would be great since it's been 7 years!!!), catching up on chores (the house has stayed somewhat reasonable), getting adjusted to dividing up my time amongst three children and making sure the two older ones feel appreciated and loved, our 8-year anniversary (June 30) which consisted of a sitter for the two older ones and a night out to Cheesecake Factory for Rob, Norah and I (she slept the whole time and it was actually like we were alone on a date...yipee), shopping for matching girls' dresses at our local outlet mall (gotta love Osh Kosh and Carter's...great matching girls' dresses in infant and older girls), letting a little extra television slip here and there for the older kids during nursing sessions with the baby and I, debating on starting homeschooling year early to get a jump on things, wondering whether to start Avonlea on Kindergarden math or K-4 math book...I may use both, cleaning off the back porch and tossing old, broken toys that we never used or played with, enjoying meals provided by our church family...yummo!...and just enjoying the simple moments between Rob and I, looking forward to "rooming" again in the same bed/room.


We know that these moments are supposed to be some of the most precious moments as our children are young and sometimes we fail to remember that in the times of cleaning up the 4th glass of spilled milk, changing the 7th diaper of the day and waking up for the 3 a.m. feeding, but somehow with God's strength, we make it work, whether it's stealing a kiss, snuggling/talking for a few minutes after kids have been put to bed or chatting on the phone for a few minutes during our day. I've found that remembering to pray amid the daily chaos helps as well as asking the Lord each morning to be in charge of my day. He does bring me peace and rest when I ask Him to.


I have a verse taped next to my bed which reads:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Dr. "C" and Summer Fun

So if you haven't picked up from previous posts how much I adore my OB (Dr. "C"), you'll know today. This is a photo of the wonderful physican that brough all three of our children into the world. Yes, she delivered Avonlea in 2005, Lincoln in 2007 and Norah in 2009. I took this picture today when we were in her office. I had my two-week check up to make sure my incision was healing properly (all things good in that dept.) and as we were leaving, I asked if she wouldn't mind a picture for the kids' scrapbooks. Of coarse, she said yes and here's our winning shot. Not sure why Avonlea has one shoe on (???), but everyone is looking straight ahead and has somewhat of a smile. Perfect. =) I have my next appointment in 4 weeks and then I'm free. I say free because I feel as though this office has been my second home lately, with appointments for the last 8 or so months. It'll be nice to get back in the swing of things...schedules, chores, etc.





I do have to say though that I visited THIS BLOG and was reminded that it's okay to let things go for the summer. She has a neat list of things to do over the summer and we've done quite a few of them! Give her blog a visit and see how many things you can check off!

Our "Natural State" =)

Okay, so here's us in our "natural state". =) Yep, me in my jammies, no make up and exhausted. The kids in their jammies and not sure what Avonlea is doing here*!? In the mornings, the kids wake up and come snuggle with me in bed and we play or watch cartoons til Daddy wakes up. I get to sleep between 8:00 and 1:00/2:00 and then I take over the early morning shift. I've been trying to let Rob sleep in when I can, especially since he let me sleep til 3:00 the other night! It's been so nice to have him home last week and this week. It will definately be a transition when he does go back to work. We're going to miss our time together, but it will be good to get back into our normal routine with school, chores, etc. We've had it easy just hanging out together lately and doing fun things. It's been a really fun time!

First Bath

So I know it's not really her first bath as they do give babies their first bath in the hospital after birth, but it's her first at-home bath and boy was she mad! The water was warm and she was getting a nice little massage, but apparently that didn't do it for her. Poor thing. Well, at least she smells nice now. =) Gotta love that sweet newborn baby smell.


We took a visit to the doctor today to get Norah reweighed. She's gained 7 ozs. since our last visit and is almost back to her birth weight (8 lbs., 13 ozs.). She had a little bit of her belly button cord left and the pediatrician got rid of that for her as well as checked her refluxes, eyes, ears, nose and mouth. No shots of coarse. However, Lincoln did have his 2-year-old well check-up and received three shots. He was a trooper though. I was so glad to have Rob with me as he held our little linebacker down and after a few tears and "ouchies!", he completely forgot about it and followed his big sister to find a lollipop. Needless to say, he checked out well and we weren't surprised to find out that his height and weight were off the charts, perportionate though which is what they look at. Just shows how big he is! Sweet boy.


Rob and I are getting the most sleep we've got between Norah, Lincoln and Avonlea. Norah usually takes a good 4-5 hour sleep during the night, which for a 1-week-old, I think is good. Lincoln and Avonlea were 2-hour-feed babies. Yikes. We did have a bit of a fussy night last night, but hopefully it was just a fluke of a night.

Here's to a good night's rest!!!! =)