the holidays

The holidays in 2014 were a slight blur. Everything was great and festive and fun. I felt the Christmas spirit and enjoyed time w my family. But it was so busy! Any and all routines were thrown out the window and we are still paying for that, in February! This year, I've made a goal to edit a little more and make more of a priority to keep even just a little normalcy for my kids' sake, and my sanity too. It's hard when you love to party and you don't want to say no to anything. But the kids will also be another year older, so it might be a little easier.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years 2014...

cheerleader and ninja

Christmas Eve 2013

It's been a week since the birth of our little Hattie girl. We fall more in love w her every day. Freddie loves loves loves "baby Hattie," and gets super hyper around her. He's learning to be gentle. He wants to hold her all the time. He comforts her. Freddie asks me to sing him the Baby Mine song all the time. Yesterday we were driving in the car and Hattie had started crying a little. Out of nowhere he held her hand and sang, "Baby mine don't you cry; lay your heart close to my heart, never a tear, baby a mine." Um. Collin and I definitely got all teared up. And then Fred tried to poke her eyeballs: "THEY're ON!!"

The jealousy has been minimal. It's crazy how much my love has grown for Fred too. He melts my heart. 

What a week! We were in the hospital for 3 days! It was exhausting!!!!!!! We were so so happy to get back home and be in our own comfy bed, with the kitties and Frederick. Collin has been taking great care of us. 

Anyway, Christmas Eve!!!! It was an interesting one this year. We were behind on Christmas stuff of course, so Collin and Freddie were out shopping all day. Hattie and I stayed home in bed, and I was a little bummed to be missing out, but it was good to rest up and spend alone time with my new little honey. 

We opened some gifts from a friend!

I have to say....

I LOVE having a daughter! Hattie is the sweetest, darlingest, most amazing baby girl I've ever known. I just hold her in my arms and stare and listen as she sleeps, jostles, coos, breathes, dreams, and makes the cutest peeping noises.

Andddddd I LOVE not being pregnant! Sorry to my dear dear pregnant friends! As you know, there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm loving not to having that giant belly!!! I can turn around/twist! Be comfortable in the car! Take a shower and reach everything! Take a super super hot shower! Lay on my back! Clean out the cat litter (I know that doesn't sound awesome, but I like having it clean all day and not having to wait for CS to be home etc. 

Yesterday we all went to the doctor-

Hattie had her first pediatrician check up and first vaccine and is perfect. 

I had a follow up about my blood pressure w my dr (same as Hattie's) and it's high again so I'm going to be on medication---not the heavy crazy magnesium, thank goodness, but some other stuff that doesn't effect breastfeeding and the side effects are small. Ill take it for a month, then hopefully everything will going back to normal and I'll get off it. 

And poor sweet Freddie hurt his foot and had to go to the ER for x-rays. He was limping and screaming--scary and very unusual for him. But there were no breaks so he pretty much just has to take ibuprofen and let it heal. Bummer at Christmas time. 

Merry Christmas Eve!!!!!! We definitely have had a very different year this year. We are behind on everything, but have a good excuse! Today we are just going to lay low! Make a cmas treat, watch a few movies, go to the park to enjoy sun, fresh air, and blankets in the grass. Tonight we will hang out w the money's at our place. 

Nursing--is going well. It's painful to have my milk come in, uncomfortable to be constantly leaking and smelling like milk bleh. I'm also enjoying it right away this time and know everything will regulate soon. It's a little tricky to figure out when to let Freddie nurse. Honestly, he's so easily distracted from it that he could probably do it much less, but I've been so engorged that sometimes I beg him to nurse to just empty a little. Phew. 

Fred holding Hattie. She was super thrilled. He loooooooves her. 

Barely fits in NB clothes.