Today

It's 3:03 pm and today has just been one of those days. One of those days where you wake up happy and have patience and your kids behave and you feel accomplished and you notice God's abundant blessings and you just have a lot of joy. Today has been such a gift. I'm loving today so much that I want to document it.

-------------------------

Gwendolyn // You woke up tired this morning needing snuggles from me, so I brought Conrad in (he woke you up...sorry about that, girl) and the three of us laid together silently for a good 10 minutes. I scratched your backs. You had to have my arm around you and were jealous that Conrad was laying across my chest, so when he changed positions, I tucked you in as close as I could. After that, I let you pick between two dresses. You picked the one with cream lace. You weren't a big fan of the organic low sugar cereal I bought at Target, but when you brought your bowl into the kitchen it was empty! I think someone liked it. :)

Today was your last day of VBS! You thanked God for our parking space when we pulled in reminding me to "give thanks for all things." You had so much fun this week and can tell us all about how Adam and Eve were lured by the devil who disguised himself as a serpent. You know that sin separates us from Jesus, and you're recognizing what sin is in your own life. You've been asking a lot of questions about Heaven. I'm so excited about what God is doing in your heart, and I can sense that He's pulling you into Him. He's created you to be such a kind, loving, tender-hearted little girl.

You suggested hot dogs for lunch. I served up a delicious plate of hot dogs, apple sauce, broccoli with dip dip and apple slices. You cleaned it all up! The sucker you received at VBS was good motivation. You smiled at me during lunch and said you wouldn't forget to take your plate into the kitchen when you were done like you did earlier in the week. And you didn't.

You just adore your baby brother. Thank you for being so gentle with him. It's so helpful to mommy that I can trust you to watch him for me if I am needed elsewhere for a few minutes.

Your quiet time in your room quickly turned into a nap. It's been a busy week! Tuesday we went to the zoo, and yesterday you went to VBS, had a play date, then we had your play date friends over to our house while their mom had an appointment, then you went to Aunt Trishy and Uncle John's house for dinner and more playing. You've decided you like sleeping under the chair in your room. I don't get it, but I don't mind.

Conrad // I was putting mousse in my hair in the bathroom when I heard your lovely yelling at about 7:45. I'd normally run as quickly as I could to your room so you wouldn't wake Gwendolyn, but it took me a bit longer than usual because I had to finish what I was doing and wash my hands. Alas, you woke her up, but it was time to eat breakfast anyway. 

I love asking you in the morning "how was your sleeping time?" because I just love hearing you say "good" in this sweet little sleepy voice. It never fails...I walk into your room and you've thrown all of your stuffed animals out of your crib leaving only your "mimic" aka blanket and pillow. Although sometimes the pillow is out as well. You're usually always sitting with your back against the crib holding your mimic crying and a bit mad. As soon as I open the door and say "hiiiiii bud!" you smile and stand up and let me take your sleep sack off. You know to whisper because the other two may still be sleeping. We went and snuggled with Sissy. You got to wear your Superman shirt today!

You ate your bowl of cereal and an entire banana and requested more. When prompted, you thank me for "breakfast", which is also lunch and dinner and for changing your diapers. Sometimes "dank you bek-fast changing my dipe-as" covers it all.

You walked hand in hand with Gwendolyn into VBS and do such a great job of staying close to me. We said our good-byes and off to Target we ran to exchange two patio chairs and buy a new toiletry bag. I only spent $30 at Target - it's a miracle! (Never mind the $80 spent there last night...) You now remember that the Super Target gives out chocolate chip cookies at the bakery so we promptly made our way across the store. You willingly offered me a "bite"....one lowly mini chocolate chip. Thanks, bud. 

When I loaded you into your car seat, I asked for a kiss kiss, which you gave me. I went to back out and you threw your arms out and said, "hug?" You've never done that before, and of course my heart melted. 

Probably no one else would know what you were saying, but you started singing "I like to move it move it" once we were back on the road. You were just singing away looking out the window in the back of the van. You always make me smile.

We met Aunt Trishy, Ten, and Lori and her youngest two kiddos at the park. Lori was so sweet and brought me Starbucks! I told her a regular coffee with lots of cream. It was such a fun treat. You ran as fast as you could when you saw Trishy pull into the parking lot and were so excited to see two of your favorite people. We played for about an hour and a half before needing to leave to go pick up Gwendolyn. You loved the swings and went down the slides and ate some crackers while mommy talked about having kids and adoption and tattoos and fashion and shopping and things we struggle with in our faith. The sky was perfectly partly cloudy and the temp just right. I just love time with friends and seeing you play.

You earned a sucker (only because Sissy had one) after lunch for at least trying broccoli. 

I was putting you into your sleep sack before nap time and cradling you in my arms while sitting on the floor. You joined me in singing "Jesus Loves Me", both of us singing into each other's necks. I loved the sound of your voice and the feeling of your breath. I started tickling you and you were just laughing and laughing. You even had goosebumps on your legs. Cutest thing ever. 

You're currently singing "Happy Birthday" and playing with play-doh behind me (nap time is over...) Happy Birthday is sung a lot around here.

You've been such a trooper going here there and everywhere the last two weeks while Sissy has been at camp and at VBS. You ran more errands with me in the last two weeks than we've run in two months! It's amazing how much easier it is to get things done with only two kids. (Or is it all in my head?)

Luther // You slept 9:40 pm to 4:45 am last night! I know I should put you back in your bed after you wake up in those early morning hours, but I just love the way you feel on my chest with your little arms stretched across my shoulders. You're always soooo warm and relaxed and I think...ohhhh it's only a couple hours until it's time to wake up anyway. We kind of have our routine. We snuggle. You nurse. Mommy tucks a pillow behind your back so you stay on your side, slips out of bed, and tries to get ready before any of you wake up. Some mornings, I even have time for a few sips of coffee and some reading and prayer. Other mornings, motherhood beckons earlier than planned. I've learned to just roll with it. This morning though you were the last of the three to wake up.

One thing is for sure though...you wake up with a smile on your sweet face. It's one of my favorite things. And it's weird because even if we were just side by side an hour ago, it seems I always find myself missing you.

You took a short little nap while we were at Target and decided to wake up when we got to the park. Not the most ideal timing considering it is hard to hold a baby and get a toddler into a swing, but you were content to hang in your car seat for once! Thank you! You didn't last that long before you "needed" to nurse and go back to sleep. Perfect timing to go pick Sissy up!

You read books with us before nap time, kicking your cute little squishy legs on Gwendolyn's bed. I put Conrad down while Sissy "babysat" you in her room and then took you into our room to put you down for a nap while she had quiet time turned nap. You were a sleepy baby boy! I've had to run up a few times to put the pacifier back in, but you've been out since about 2:00. And it's 5:10. Yes, this post has taken me two hours in between runs upstairs for children and pacis, getting snack, cleaning up Legos and play-doh, and getting dinner (frozen lemon peppered cod) in the oven. 

-----------------------------

Today has just been a great day. There is laundry to be done and crumbs on my floor and pictures to edit and yet I feel accomplished and at peace with the chaos. I feel like I loved you kids well today. I had some really precious individual moments with each of you. You each individually and in your own way took my breath away causing me to be just super thankful. It wasn't perfect. There were feet in faces (Conrad Cross...) and some discipline and moments of not sharing, but boy is my heart full. 

Thank you for this day, Lord. I know it's not over, but I also know you never leave us. Thank you for these kids, for hugs and kisses, for the laughter and thankfulness in their voices, for mispronounced words, for sunshine, for parking spaces, for energy, for work to do and strength to do it, for frozen fish, for lemon Oreos, for friends who pick up Starbucks, for volunteers teaching VBS, for teachable moments, for daddy's who come home, for time to write, and for being a never ending flowing river of grace and mercy and love. Oh, and for the bowl of sea salt caramel chocolate-covered pretzel ice cream that awaits me after bath/bed time (lemon what?!). 

So thankful. For all the days you have so graciously given us, I thank You.

Luther: 14 weeks old

Luther is (still!) 14 weeks old! Mommy's actually doing something semi on time for once.

He was all smiles for his pics earlier in the week, and I can't tell you how much I just adoooore that smile.

•  Luther Thomas turned 3 months old on June 10th! I had mixed emotions about that for some reason. I think because technically that means he's no longer a "newborn." Why I get myself all worked up over such silly things is beyond me. Not being a newborn anymore certainly doesn't make him any less loveable!

• We went swimming for the first time with Uncle John and Aunt Trishy and Ten using some coupon daddy found on groupon. The big kids had a great time, but Luther thought the water was a bit cold and would have preferred to just take a little snooze.

• I took Gwendolyn and Luther down to my parent's to help them in their moving process as much as I could with a baby strapped onto me. (Conrad stayed home with daddy.) Luther was able to meet Aunt Becca and see Grandpa and Grandma's new dream home they've waited so patiently for for the last 33 years. But who's counting.

• Speaking of Grandma, she said if Luther grew on kisses, he'd be the size of a whale. She's about right!

• He's talking up a storm and we just love hearing him squeak and squeal. The inflections in his voice are matched with various different facial expressions giving his audience the utmost adorable performance. He also smiles at the drop of a hat, which just about puts me over the edge.

• He continues to absolutely nail sleeping, even sleeping for 10 hours and 15 minutes (8:15 pm to 6:30 am) the night we returned from Charles City last Sunday! Previous nights before that had been typically anywhere between 6 to 8 hours so 10 hours + was a shock. 

• Unfortunately, two nights later he was up after only 4.5 hours, which I thought was a fluke and then it happened again on Wednesday. After two nights in a row of restless sleep, which just isn't like him, I took him to the walk-in clinic on Thursday morning where they confirmed my suspicion that maybe he had his first ear infection. :( Poor baby boy. If it hadn't been for his off sleeping habits, you never would have known he had an ear infection. He'd been congested for honestly about a month and had recently started coughing as well, so it was probably almost inevitable. 

He seems to enjoy his amoxicillin thankfully. I was hoping he'd be back into his awesome sleeping habits soon after starting his meds, but last night was night fiiiive of mommy not getting much sleep. It's Father's Day today and despite my best efforts to keep it together, I've cried more times than I care to admit. (Bless my sweet husband.) 

Little sleep is to be expected with small babes, but he'd just been spoiling us rotten! 

• In other news, he weighed 15 lbs at his check up! It's like he grew overnight because I swear size 2 diapers are getting snug (causing more leaks...grrrrr) and he'll be out of 0-3 clothes before we know it.

• Also inevitable....Conrad loving his baby brother a bit too much and accidentally falling on Luther's face. Mommy panicked. Luther cried for one minute. All is well.

• He's really rolling to the sides. I wouldn't be surprised if one of these times we find him on his tummy!

• Daddy took a half day on Friday to see Gwendolyn's performance (princess musical theater camp) and so we could go see Jurassic World at the Imax theater. It was our first time leaving Luther. Miss Danya had her hands full with all three kiddos, but not surprisingly did a wonderful job and even got Luther down for the night. She's amazing! 

That's the Luther update for now!

Luther: 10 & 12 weeks

Luther is now 12 weeks old! We're only days away from his turning three months old, which stirs up all sorts of emotion in this sensitive mommy's heart. I absolutely love seeing how he's changing and growing and becoming more of a baby and less of a newborn. It seems something changes every week! At the same time, he is so itty bitty and I just love itty bitty. Thankfully I have Gwendolyn and Conrad around to remind me that 2 and 4 year olds (and everything in between!) also have their hilarious and amazing ways about them as well. We have much to look forward to.

How great is our God to design the newborn/baby stage the way He did...joining together some of the most tiring yet blissful moments of our lives. These days are so demanding yet so incredible at the same time. I've often wished it could last longer, but also know that He must have purpose in the length. He knows the future and all that yet to come, and He obviously knows I wouldn't handle changing newborn diapers eight times a day for three years very well. Two maybe, but not three. ;)

I think what I struggle with right now is the balance between being so needed and the desire to not be needed so much. Ha. I wouldn't trade my job for anything in the world, yet selfishly I just want to go run errands on a Sunday afternoon alone and not feel super rushed to get home before a sleeping baby wakes up and needs to nurse. Keeping up with my to do list is nearly impossible and when I don't keep up, I find myself frustrated and negative more often then I care to admit. I have such high hopes for our weekends to cross things off our to do list and spend time together as a family, and we have to be reeeeally intentional with our plans in order to get anything done. And prioritize. Always prioritize. Take 10 minutes ago for instance...I sat down to finally work on this post (during nap time) and suddenly I was searching for WubbaNubs on Amazon. How does this happen?! I literally have to speak to myself and say, "Sarah, you need to work on what is most important right now." It's almost silly how distracted I can get. Yet at the same time, there's always 138 things I could be doing! Having said that, my kids will never be almost 12 weeks, 2, and 4 years old again so perhaps the rest can wait...

Side note: Tom and I were driving around town yesterday and talking about how we used to spend our days without kids. I used to loooove shopping on Sundays all by myself and I'll admit I spent way too much money at Loft. We had all the free time in the world. It was nice, but I'm really happy God didn't keep us there and chose to bless us with the kids in His perfect timing.

Back to Luther Thomas!

 10 weeks old

12 weeks old

• Mother's Day was yet again very special. It's actually a pretty wonderful day...similar to a birthday but celebrated with a bunch of other women. Tom does a great job of making me feel very loved and appreciated, and of course I can't thank God enough for the three gifts that have made me a mom in the first place! Luther probably wasn't much help, but Tom and the kids made me my favorite paleo fudge (melt.in.your.mouth) and breakfast. It was grand!

• Luther's 2 month check up went well on May 12th and we survived our first round of shots. He wasn't the happiest of campers that evening and actually backtracked a bit on sleeping, but thankfully that only last three nights. He's not quite as big as Conrad was at 2 months (15 lbs, 5 oz), but regardless still doing quite well on the charts. 

Weight: 13 lbs, 11 oz - 84%

Height: 25" - 99%

Head: 16.25" - 97%

• He continues to be a great sleeper!

His first sleeping stretches in the last week have been...

 6 hrs, 50 minutes

6 hrs, 30 minutes

5 hrs, 50 minutes

6 hrs, 45 minutes

8 hrs (!)

6 hrs, 15 minutes

8 hrs (!)

8 hrs, 30 minutes (!!)

(That was 9:10 pm to 5:45 am on May 22nd)

It's a little all over the place and here and there and everywhere, but I'll take it. He comes in to bed with me after waking up the first time and then typically nurses on and off until we're up for the day. I wish I could say I feel completely and 100% rested, but that'd be a lie. Many afternoons still call for a nap.

• Mornings naps are typically always either in the car seat because we're out and about or in the carrier because we're doing things around the house or on a walk. He'll easily nap 2+ hours in the carrier, which is both wonderful because he's so easy and hard on mommy's back because he gets heavy, particularly when I'm pushing 80+ pounds in the double stroller with him strapped on the front of me. I do love having him close though and just love that he is so comfortable in it. I think I may try a wrap or sling one of these days.

• Luther's demeanor is calm, content, happy, and sweet. He freely hands out smiles and is trying so hard to "talk" to us. He is very quick to smile at me, daddy, and Gwendolyn but is definitely a bit more on guard when Conrad comes around. I don't blame him. :) Conrad is and always has been quite gentle with him, but it's funny to see how Luther kind of braces himself when Conrad is talking to him. He gets lots of head pats from his big brother and Gwendolyn loves his "squishy part" (back of his neck.) In fact, she told me the other day that she hopes he has it forever.

(Me too, girl.)

• He's definitely found his adorable little hands! He loves sucking on them (and any and all shoulders) and the drool has started. 

• He has started squealing a bit more and thinks daddy is especially funny.

• I love, love, love it when he's asleep on my chest and I can feel his breath on my neck.

• He's getting stronger and stronger and can certainly no longer be left on the ottoman alone. I have no idea when he'll roll over for the first time, but I'm not going to risk it being the three seconds I leave him to go throw a dirty diaper away. If I do leave the room quickly, I always ask Sissy to "babysit" and she knows to always have two hands on him. She feels so important and takes her job very seriously. 

• We all love kissing him and talking to him when he's laying on the ottoman. Sometimes diaper changes take me 10 minutes or longer because I get so caught up in admiring him while he's laying there so happy and sweet. I told Tom it's why I don't get much done during the day. But seriously....the other day I equated it to being addicted to sweets. There are a lot of days I literally have to pull myself away from him and refrain from kissing his cheeks 79 more times because there are faces to be washed and laundry to be done and parks to explore!

• He almost always raises his right eyebrow and cheek when he smiles.

• He's blowing raspberries now.

• He enjoys laying on the play mat for longer periods of time and is very interested in looking at the rings and sides of the mat. He also likes the Mamaroo more and will easily be in it for a good 10-20 minutes sometimes!

• I think I can officially say the boy loves his paci. I have started using it daily and at almost every nap and bedtime. The other two didn't ever use one, so I'm torn about how I feel about them, but it definitely comes in handy to get him to fall asleep. (Also semi annoying when it falls out and I have dart up the stairs as fast as I can when I hear him crying.) I don't think there is any harm in them, but I am already nervous about breaking the habit down the road...guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there. 

• We traveled for Memorial Day weekend to Lake Geneva in Wisconsin and spent 5 nights at a lake house with Tom's family. Luther traveled great on the way there (slept for almost 3 hours when we first hit the road) and not quite a great on the way home (woke up after the first 45 minutes.....) BUT we survived. It was great to have him meet the rest of the fam and his other cousins! 

• We had the joy and privilege of having him dedicated at church this past Sunday. Of course I got all emotional because I just love him so much and want what is best for him always. He's such a gift, and we give heartfelt thanks for him every single day. We vowed to surrender all worldly claim upon his life in hopes that he will belong wholly to Jesus Christ, and it truly is my deepest desire that all three of our kids will love the Word of God, have the character of Christ, and know the joy of the Lord in their lives. I pray God grants us the wisdom, patience, and strength to raise these kiddos according to His will.

We absolutely adore our Luther Thomas more and more everyday!

Luther: 6 & 8 weeks old

Luther turns 9 weeks old tomorrow so this is a very combined post of the last 5 (how is that possible) weeks. I've started it so many times and it just needs to be done!

I went to upload the pictures and realized we had the wrong sign for his 6 week picture (I use both sides.) We've done this with both of the other kids, but never this early in the game. Naturally, I was super annoyed (my tracking would be all off...what a tragedy!) and immediately blamed Tom.

That is until I backtracked and realized that I was the one who put Luther and the sign down in the chair.

I could still be annoyed that Tom didn't catch it, but grace and mercy, ya know? ;)

Like my editing job? It took entirely too long.

But he's so worth it. And he'll be thankful someday, I'm just sure of it.

Here's a few updates about our little Luther boy...

• With a tear in my eye and a frog in my throat, I had to pack up his newborn clothes when he was 5 weeks old. Including his coming home outfit that I swear just fit yesterday. Next up - most of his 0-3 month sleepers. In fact, that 8 week outfit he's wearing is 3-6 months. He's not even 2 months old.

When you're with these little people everyday, you don't always notice how much they're growing and changing. That is until you go to get them dressed in something they haven't worn in a week and a half and the legs and sleeves are too short. The entire first year is like this! It's a 365 day emotional roller coaster.

• Luther smiled at me for the first time at just under 5 weeks old! I didn't know for sure if it was for real, but then he did it again and I was just on cloud nine. (Tom was the one to see Conrad smile for the first time.) I couldn't wait to tell daddy about it thinking for sure I'd shock him with the news since it seemed a bit early for a legit smile.

Later that day I said, "Guess whaaaat?! Luther smiled at me this morning!"

His response?

"Oh yeah, he smiled at me two days ago."

Seriously!?

We love his social smiles so much, and he willingly gives them out to anyone who even remotely baby talks to him.

• He's so obvious when he has to go #2. He stops everything he's doing, flare's his nostrils, and purses his lips.

• Tom and I attended the MACHE (Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators) Conference in St. Paul April 16-18 when Luther was 5 weeks old. My parents graciously watched G & C and we took Luther with us for the sessions. He was a trooper and spent a lot of time sleeping on mommy's chest or in the carrier (no strollers allowed.) We learned a tremendous amount about time management, teaching preschoolers, curriculum options, balancing work and family life, and in general about raising kiddos in a solid, loving, Christ-centered home environment. It was tiring (conferences just are) but we also had so much fun with just the three of us and having my parents around for a couple of days. (Of course, dad fixed a bunch of stuff around the house and my stove now sparkles thanks to my mom!)

• He squeaks and makes so much noise when he's nursing, yet is such a quiet sleeper. Always has been too. We had to move Gwendolyn out of our room when she was a newborn because she was so loud. Or maybe we were just new parents who couldn't sleep through anything yet.

• I'm still obsessed with the softness of him. My favorite things are his cheeks and his hands. When he's asleep in the carrier, his arms will just be hanging there giving me perfect access to touch and hold them as I do things around the house. And those cheeks......I swear they're kissed 537 times a day between me, Gwendolyn, Conrad and Daddy. Not kidding. If he could talk, I'm guessing he'd ask for more space because we're allllll up in his business. All.the.time. We literally can't help it. Luther gets more love and attention than I ever thought he would being a third born.

• He's gained more movement in his hands and has started holding on to things like his blankie and my shirt. He now also squeezes my side when he is nursing. It's so sweet.

• One of Luther's favorite pass times is laying on his back and kicking his legs. If he's ever a bit cranky, this usually distracts him and makes him happy for at least a little while! We haven't used the play mat much yet, but I'm thinking we'll break that out soon. (Not looking forward to the space it takes up...)

• He is trying so hard to talk and says a-boo and a-gah and has the most adorable sneeze and cough and coos and squeals you've ever heard.

• I'm holding out hope that his eyes are on their way to turning brown like his daddy and big bro! They're definitely appearing dark?!

• I had a friend recently ask me via vox how Luther was doing and specifically how he smelled. (Everyone loves the smell of a newborn...) On that particular day, he really needed a bath and smelled a bit sweaty and milky. Yet, I honestly thought he smelled divine and had to smile wondering what she'd think if she was holding him. There is nothing stopping a mommy's love, right??

• I had mentioned that he was having fussy periods in the evening, but like a switch, he just stopped at right around 6 weeks (when it's supposed to peak.) He used to get fussy after dinner and before he'd go down for the night, but now he just takes a little evening snooze for 20-30 minutes around 7:00 and then is ready for bed about 9:00. No crying. Just a happy, content little sleepy baby. It's so nice! If he's fed and changed, he will also hang out in the Mamaroo or the rock n play upstairs for a good 20 minutes now, which makes my life so much easier during lunch and nap times.

• Sleep.

Let's talk about sleep.

Luther is incredible and has basically somehow put himself on a schedule without our even trying. A lot has changed since the last time I posted!!

He has been a pretty decent sleeper really his whole life and was consistently doing 4 or 5 hours pretty early on, but then on April 28th at 7 weeks old, he slept EIGHT HOURS. Now he's consistently doing anywhere between 5 and 8 hours. It's usually right around 6 hours.

Last night: 6 hours, 45 minutes
Night before: 6 hours, 30 minutes
Night before that: 7 hours
Night before that: 6 hours, 10 minutes

Pretty amazing! I can take no credit.

He's going down about 9:30 pm and then when he wakes up, I'll bring him into bed and he'll nurse, burp, and pass right back out. I've tried putting him back down in his rock n play after that but it's always failed me, so I just lie down with him on my chest for the rest of the morning. He usually nurses again laying down and then will sleep until about 8:00 or so when he wakes up with a big smile on his face. And a very full diaper. :)

• The boy looooves to be held. And I love holding him. He'll be crying and I'll take him from Tom and almost always, he'll stop right away. He loves his daddy and sibs, but he reeeally loves his mommy. Just blesses my heart so much.


So that's the update from the last couple of weeks!

Luther: One month!

We have an official one month old as of April 10th. Some people might say, "wow, I can't believe it's been a month already" but in looking back, thankfully I'd say it was a seemingly slow month and didn't "fly by" like they do sometimes. (In a good way.) With a new baby in the house, I like the idea of time moving a bit more slowly so we can soak it up and enjoy it rather than have it whisk by us in a blink of the eye.

(Both taken April 11th)

We packed a lot in and had a lot going on, but in some ways March 10th feels like a very long time ago. It's been both challenging and rewarding transitioning to our new routine.

Challenging things...

• Getting all three kids dressed and ready in the morning. 

It's not so much the "getting ready" part as much as the timing of it all. Basically I need to be the first one up and ready and then the rest falls into place. Or doesn't. And I've become ok with the bigs staying in jam jams all day some days.

• Getting out of the house. 

This just requires a lot of physical energy on mommy's part. Thankfully Gwendolyn and Conrad are well behaved in stores and parking lots, it's more the process of actually getting out the door.

Go potty. Nurse Luther. Make sure no one pooped their pants and needs a diaper change. Do you have enough diapers and a change of clothes, just in case? Grab the water bottle. Do we need coats? Gwendolyn - you need socks. Coats on. Shoes on. Where is my phone?! One more drink of coffee. Ok, out to the car. Don't fall down the stairs. Load 'em up. One car seat at a time. 

I've only taken all three to dance lessons, Bible study, play dates, the post office, and the library. No Target or grocery shopping yet. Although if you've ever been to the Woodbury Post Office, you'd know that was no easy undertaking. (Long lines.)

• Getting a shower. 

I've discovered this is most likely to happen right after dinner clean-up while Tom is playing with kids rather than right before bed because I'm often holding a fussy or sleepy baby or exhausted and wanting to head to bed. Tom is so great about this though if I just ask him..."Sure! Go ahead." have become some of my favorite words from him.

• Having conversations with my husband.

We attempt to talk to each other, but it's often interrupted by questions, jabbering, or crying. Thankfully we laugh about it and like I told Tom, we'll talk again in 10 years. Jk. But seriously. (But honestly....we need to work on a more regular date night schedule asap as obviously this is an area no couple should let get too out of control.)

• Running errands.

With kids? No thanks. Without kids? Absolutely but WHEN??

I have the best of intentions every Saturday morning to get out and accomplish a few things, but then life just happens and before I know it, the bank is long closed and it's just about time for dinner.

My list of errands was really starting to bother me, but I was able to get out for two hours yesterday and get a hair cut AND return a few things to two stores. (I had just finished nursing Luther when I called about a hair cut and they fit me in 10 minutes later...that's my kind of appointment!) I also decided to just buck up and take all three kids to the post office to mail a couple of packages. We all survived and it felt so good to cross a few things off of my list. One foot in front of the other, Sarah....sometimes that is all it takes.

• Getting enough sleep.

I feel like this one is just obvious. (I should be sleeping right now...)

• Keeping up with the blog.

I've always struggled with this, but it's harder now than ever before. It'd be easy to throw in the towel, but I like to have it updated for "history's sake."

In a perfect world, I'd wake up at 5:00 am and write and post because I think that's when I work best and am least distracted. Oh wait, I already am up at 5:00 am....just with a little one month old latched on to me....

• Keeping my focus on what is of utmost importance...my relationship with Christ.

Nursing mandates sitting down, which is wonderful and I love using that time to read my devotionals. It's just often cut short (Luther is a quick nurser) and at times sporadic. I'm also veeery behind on my Bible reading plan. Although, I recently read a post by Barbara Rainey that touched my heart. She shared this....

Children brought so many new and unpredictable interruptions into my life, and my pattern for meeting with God became impossible to plan for. I would get into a routine only to have it fall apart within a few weeks. I struggled with this issue for years.

Finally I decided to quit trying!

Understand that this was not a decision to quit growing but simply to stop expecting myself to fit the mental picture I had of what a spiritual Christian was supposed to look like. I still prayed every day--but not in the same way for a certain amount of time. I still worshiped and feasted on the Word--but not on a set routine schedule.

It wasn't long before my sense of oppression simply fell away. I learned that being busy as a mother didn't have to rob me of being intimate with God. It just required me to look at things in a new way, allowing my time with Him to wrap around the life He had sovereignly designed for me.

Everyone goes through seasons of added responsibility. Some are harder and longer than others, but each of them comes with new opportunities for growing in grace and drawing closer to the Lord ... as long as our so-called "right way to do things" is replaced by a relationship with God that's less rigid and unrealistic.

Can I get an amen??

Ahhh, the freedom from guilt that came with reading that.

Rewarding things...

• Providing all of the nourishment our sweet baby needs to grow and be strong and healthy. 

I look at nursing Luther as such a privilege and gift especially since I know it's not easy for all moms to do so. I love our time together and holding his little body in my arms.

• Seeing our three children together. 

There are three of them! And they have so much love for one another that is such a direct answer to our prayers.

• Spending my days with the kids and caring for the home.

Managing the home (even when messy) and raising these children (even on difficult days) makes me feel like super woman.

This house, though small, is a gift from God and I find great joy in washing it's floors and counters and doing it well.

Of course not all days are a walk in the park (especially those first two weeks) and I have to dig reeeeally deep for patience and gratitude, but I've been amazed at how looking at things a bit differently can make the tough stuff so much more rewarding.

• Making it through each night!

I wonder when that feeling of "we survived another one!" will end?? :) There's a lot of up and down and moving around that goes on. All silently. While in the dark. Completely alone (or so it seems.) You just never know what they will hold. I start each one with so much hope that it'll be better than the one before. In some weird way, it's exciting to try new things and see if they do the trick (the "trick" being to get more than two or three hours of sleep.)

Naps are wonderful, but they can backfire if taken advantage of. (FYI: 15 minutes is weirdly refreshing while two hour naps are too long...)

(Taken April 13th)

• Getting anywhere looking somewhat presentable on time or only a few minutes late.

Thank goodness for my easy mommy wardrobe that greatly simplifies the decision about what to wear every day. And hair that doesn't need to be washed that often. And make-up that only takes 3 minutes to apply.

• Fresh air and/or ice cream.

I can get through any tough/tiring day knowing I have a family walk or trip to DQ in front of me!

Life just keeps moving forward, and each day I feel more confident as a mom of three little ones. I've realized that it won't all get done the moment I'd like it to (dishes and laundry), that some things just aren't necessary (cleaning up the floor after every meal) or worth fretting over (dirt on Conrad's pants), and that naps have to take precedence over just about everything. We've had some fantastic days and some very tiring days, but thankfully 4:45 pm always comes one way or another and daddy saves the day at just the right moment.

(Taken April 12th)

Tom and I still randomly say to each other things like, "we have THREE kids" and "did we seriously have a baby?!" I also can't believe we have boys. It's plural. There's more than one now. Brothers. This is crazy! I can hardly wait to see how they're similar and different. Gwendolyn says she has two brothers to "protect her" and that she'd maybe like another one for her next birthday.

#nothappening

(Both taken Easter Sunday, April 5th)

Luther is loved, loved, loved. There is so much we've learned about him over the last month and 10 days, and yet still so much learning left to go. Having a newborn is like having a present that doesn't fully open. Ever. You just remain constantly surprised and in wonder and awe. Babies are such fresh gifts from God. His wonders are all around us, but seeing them in a tiny human stirs up such reverence in my soul. God designed him perfectly in His image second by second over the course of nine months. One day we hadn't met and the next day he was safely in our arms. All ours.

He's a mama's boy and for really having just met, I get him. We're on the same page. I don't always agree with his demands (Tom thinks he's going to be a tenor with his high pitched crying), but I try to meet his needs quickly to assure him that he is heard and never alone. We're his people. Forever.

We made it through the first month and 10 days with a lot of prayer, patience and joy. (And a few tears.) I look back mentally and hope I can lock in so many memories of him first coming home, the big kids running to the chair to hold him, meeting family and friends, his first bottle, family adventures, walks, his first Easter, our nights together spent side by side, wearing him throughout the day in the carrier, and the list goes on and on. He's drawn me closer to the Lord in these first few weeks both out of desperation and a desire to be the best mom for these three kids that I can be. I just know he's going to change this family.

He already has!

What joy these walls hold. Can not wait to see what the next 11 months hold!

(Taken March 16th)

(Taken March 18th)

(Taken March 18th)

Comparison of the kids....

The boys. In the same outfit.

One is Conrad at 9 days.

One is Luther at 18 days old. 

Who is who?!

We get a lot of "who do you think he looks like?!" questions so I thought it'd be fun to put them side by side.

I honestly don't think they look a ton alike and I'm thinking our little Lute is looking a bit more like his Sissy.

But then again....Luther may just be his own little guy. And maybe all that dark hair that fell out will come back RED. Who knows. :)

Luther: 4 weeks old

Luther turned four weeks old last week on April 7th. Four WEEKS. (He's actually 5 weeks old today.) It's so amazing to think of a small little newborn being only a matter of days and then weeks old and having their whole entire life ahead of them, Lord willing.

Luther....

• Started having his fussy time in the evenings at 2 weeks. I was hopeful we'd avoid the "witching hour" like we did with Conrad, but nope. Some nights are worse than others, and thankfully he's not crying for three hours straight or anything like that, but it certainly makes it difficult to get much done when you have a little one who needs quite a bit of love. We just switch positions often, offer his paci, pat his bottom, pat his back, gently jiggle him, bounce him, cluster nurse, etc. He almost always has several burps and poos at least once. Once he's out, he's out and can be put down in his rock-n-play, but he sometimes plays tricks on us and we'll think he's asleep and then 15 minutes later, his little eyes will pop open. Awesooooome. :) I'm grateful for the excuse to spend time with him and snuggle even though he has a veeery high-pitched and loud dramatic cry that is completely unnecessary.

• Has lost just about all of his hair on top. I think he's officially rockin' the "grandpa do".

• I think it's safe to say his love language is "physical touch." Unlike the other two, he doesn't completely pass out in his car seat and would prefer you hold him. We've been able to rock him back down a few times, which would be my preference, but he can be a bit bossy sometimes. It's not that I don't loooove holding him, but there are times and situations (church) where it'd be nice to have my hands free. I've been getting lots of use out of our carrier and a sling I have!

• Due to his fussiness in the evenings and my crazy milk supply/let down, I talked to the lactation consultant (she's helped me with all three kids) to see if she had any suggestions. She said Luther is "lucky and unlucky"....mommy has plenty of milk, which can make it hard to keep up. She suggested more burping throughout the day and baths at night, which apparently can help if their little tummies are upset. He seems to be doing better and I'd say our evenings are improving.

• Takes a wonderful 3-hour nap each afternoon timed almost exactly with naps for the other two kids, which means MOMMY NAPS too! This has been a lifesaver, but means I'm literally getting nothing done. My to do list has a to do list.

• Is in size 1 diapers now.

• Having a new baby means receiving meals from church family! What a blessing they've been. We've got eight more dinners coming through May 6th. There are so many things I need to take care of, and not having dinner to worry about makes my life that much easier. Not to mention, our bank account is getting a bit of a break from big grocery shopping trips! Frozen meals from our moms and super simple basic dinners have filled in gaps as needed.

• Answers to "Luffer" (Gwendolyn), "Lussa" (Conrad), Bud, Lute, Luther Thomas, LT, and Baby.

• Celebrated his first Easter with a visit to the Easter bunny and a couple of Easter egg hunts. 

• Is sleeping decently well. I'd actually say he's our best sleeper, but yet I'm the most tired I've ever been probably due to my age and the fact that I'm caring for two other kiddos. I wouldn't say I'm completely sleep deprived, but I'll take any chance I get to sleep in and I love my coffee. He often does 3+ hr stretches (at times) and has fallen asleep a few times completely on his own (rather than nursing him to sleep.) Just because it's fun to look back and remember how crazy these early days are (and how we survived), here is the recap of the last couple of nights....

April 11th:

Nursed at 10:40 pm

In bed at 12:30 am

Nursed at 2:50 am

must have fallen asleep

Nursed at 4:40 am

Put him down in Rock-n-Play at 5:50 am

Nursed at 7:20 am

April 12th:

In bed at 11:45 pm (asleep downstairs for about two hrs)

Nursed at 1:50 am

fell asleep holding him

Put back in bed at 2:10 am

Nursed at 4:15

fell asleep holding him

Put him in bed at 5:10 am

Nursed at 6:30 am

April 13th:

In bed at 10:30 pm

Nursed at 12:50 am

In bed again at 1:10 am

Diaper change at 4:20 am

Nursed at 4:30 am

Held him on my chest and layed down with him at 4:40 am

Nursed at 7:00 am

April 14th:

In bed at 11:00 pm (asleep downstairs for awhile)

Nursed at 2:40 am

Nursed at 4:40 am

Nursed at 6:30 am

(held him from 2:40 on....)

We'll laugh about this someday. :)

• Gained 2 pounds in under a month. Once again, the boy shocks me. 

His one month stats were:

Weight: 11 pounds, 2.5 oz - 85%

Height: 23 3/8" - 99%

Head: 15 3/8" - 95%

He'd have to gain 4 pounds in the next month to catch up to Conrad's size at his 2 month check-up. Will it happen?! Highly doubtful. Can't wait to see how these boys are the same and how they differ. :)

Luther: 2 weeks old

The first 2 weeks of Luther's life flew by. (He's already 3 weeks old tomorrow!) 

Between our stay in the hospital, having my parents here, Tom taking four days off, his parents arriving for a week, visits from friends and family, Sissy's 4th birthday celebration(s), and meeting Uncle Greg who was in town on business - we sure packed a lot in in those first 14 days! 

Luther....

Survived a 12-hour watch of his blood sugars while we were in the hospital "due to his size." (Heel prick before each feeding and mandatory feeding every three hours. It was basically pretty annoying and all for nothing.)

Lost his umbilical cord at only 5 days old.

Went to church and received his first rose.

Has slept through vacuuming (in the same room) and a very loud Vitamix.

Absolutely nailed his newborn session at 8 days old. One of my sweetest babies ever. Mommy was really dreading it because it's a lot of work even when it's not your OWN newborn, and was so thankful to have daddy home to help!

Sleeps in the pack-n-play set up in the living room during the day and the Rock-N-Play or my arms at night (hence my aching back and neck...)

Doesn't mind being kissed 1,485 times a day. (Could be more than that...you should feel the softness of those cheeks!)

Finds baths quite relaxing. (Agreed!)

Can be calmed down with a paci, and even hold it in pretty well.

Has had three 5-hour stretches at night already and multiple 3 and 4-hour ones! We've also had a handful of "rough" nights where he has been wide awake and fussy at the most inopportune times (until 12:15, 12:45, and 2:00 one morning) so we've been trying to figure out what we can do to avoid thaaaaaat...

Does NOT like to be hungry.

Has a very high-pitched, dramatic cry. Truth be told, it's not always possible to get to him immediately or as quickly as he'd probably prefer. 

Is still in newborn diapers and wearing newborn and some 0-3 month clothes (although they're big on him.)

Loves snuggling with his head right.up.under mommy's chin.

Nurses for anywhere between 6 and 20 minutes and usually only on one side. 

Has gotten a lot of compliments on his name.

Quickly won over the affection of both sets of grandparent's who stayed with us and helped tremendously with the transition.

Is a veeery popular topic of conversation where ever we go. 

Has no shortage of people who already love him immensely. 

Including this tired mommy! :)

Luther Thomas has arrived!

It is with great joy that we announce that Luther Thomas made his debut Tuesday, March 10th, 2015 at 10:19 am weighing 9 pounds and measuring 22.25 inches long. Our "little peanut" turned out to be a pretty big little boy! (My jaw dropped when I heard his measurements!)

Luther at only 20 minutes old...

24 hours old...

He's been here just under two weeks already and in the little time I have available, I find myself just staring at him in disbelief. I'm coveting the hours and hours and hours I had on maternity leave with Gwendolyn where I could sit and hold her and just be still and take her in. (So basically before anyone else needed me.) Things are certainly different when you have multiple children! Even so, I'm trying to soak him in when I can, which is sometimes at 3:30 am. He'll be done nursing and I just know I should reswaddle and put him back in bed, but it's.just.so.hard. This time is so fleeting, and my heart soars and breaks at the same time for all the changes that take place so rapidly. My emotions can't keep up. Part of me wishes that the rest of life could just be put on pause for a good month of two (or three) and little Luther and I could just snuggle day in and day out and re-enter the world when we're good and ready. Of course, he'd stay 12 days old as well. If only....

Tom reminded me the other night that our ultimate goal as parents is to see our children grow up and become servants of the Lord, so I'm trying to keep a healthy - Heavenward - perspective, but it's not easy when your newborn is quickly outgrowing newborn sleepers! (Couldn't they stay in those longer than just a few weeks?!) I think it also helps that now I have two bigger kids who have shown me all that there is to look forward to and enjoy in the stages to come...like hearing "I love you" for the first time, listening to their bedtime prayers, and watching their emerging personalities come forth.

These hours and days are demanding and tiring yet incredible all at the same time. Gwendolyn and Conrad are doing really well (and sleeping in!), which is such a blessing. They love their new brother and are so kind and gentle with him. It's been great having help as well! My parents were here and stayed with the big kids while we enjoyed our time in the hospital, and then Tom was home for a few days, and now his parents are here until the end of the week (currently out getting groceries...I could get used to this!) Gwendolyn and Conrad are getting a lot of love and attention, which I know will be more difficult when it's just mommy at home during the day. Like other changes in life, we'll adjust. Eventually.

We're very much in love over here. I have so much on my heart to share and get out, and hopefully time will allow for that soon so I don't burst. We haven't known Luther for very long, but in some crazy way, it seems he's always been here. And it's true, that actually he has in a way. The Lord knew about him before the beginning of time including every detail of his adorable little face, and the Lord knows exactly what his future holds as well. I dream of all that he'll become and all the joy that his precious life will bring to our family and this home. I dream about his relationship with his siblings, and pray it's long-lasting, fruitful, filled with grace, mercy, joy, and immense love.

Immense love.

That's what I think of when I think of our Luther Thomas. 

I love him with all of my being. 

Every inch of him. 

His high pitched cry. 

(Sometimes for no reason, but other than to remind us all he's here.)

His super soft squishy cheeks.

His hairy back and shoulders.

His big bright eyes.

His dark hair. (What there is of it.)

His button nose.

His little lips.

His quiet little burps.

And baby breath.

And the different faces he makes when he's sleeping.

His hairline. 

His incredible soft hands.

His little fingernails.

And itty bitty toenails.

And long fingers.

And big feet.

And long, skinny legs.

The way he sighs when sleeping.

His goose noises when nursing....just like his brother made.

His yawns.

His contentedness.

The way he fits so perfectly under my chin.

His "slow blinks."

The way he prefers to have both arms up when he's laying on my chest.

His short eyelashes.

His adorable hiccups.

The way his bottom feels in a diaper (squish).

How he squirms when I rub his back.

How delicious he smells after a bath.

The way he loves the sound machine.

How relaxed he is once fed and changed.

The way he furrows his brow.

His knees.

And elbows.

And shoulders.

And knuckles.

(All so little and miniature!)

His warmth.

His adorable leg rolls when his legs are bent.

His breath on my neck in the middle of the night.

Being cheek to cheek.

The way his forehead wrinkles when his eyes are open.

Seeing him with his brother and sister.

His three, four, even five (it's happened twice!) hour sleep stretches.

The way he looks in clothes.

...and in his car seat.

...and in his daddy's arms.

I think he's just wonderful. Simply incredible.

And I'm so thankful that God picked me to be his mommy.

Three kids.

Three healthy, beautiful, loving kids.

We're so blessed.

With all my heart, I say thank you, Lord.

More to come...