Sickness strikes

I had my first night of three sick little ladies last night. And, it wasn't much fun.

My heart breaks when these little girls aren't feeling well. And, ironically, they always seem to take a turn for the worse once Dan is just about to leave for work. Just my luck!

Faith had a runny nose on Friday, and she had trouble sleeping that night. She kept pointing to her neck saying it hurt, but I think she meant her throat was hurting. She seemed much better by Saturday, but Maddie took a nap yesterday afternoon which is a big red flag right there. Maddie NEVER takes naps anymore. I can't even remember the last time she took a nap. But, she and Faith shared the ends of the couch yesterday afternoon and slept during Abrie's nap. It was unusually quiet, and I didn't even enjoy it because I knew it only meant they weren't feeling well. Poor girls.

Maddie started with what definitely seemed like croup last night. She sounded like a barking sea lion. She threw up once, and had a fever the entire night. I had her sleep at the foot of our bed with the fan pointed at her and an ice pack on her head since she complained of a terrible headache the entire night. Faith also joined us in the middle of the night and started coughing, so I moved to the floor to make them more comfortable. Abrie woke up at about 3:30am and I could tell right away from her breathing that she was so congested. My innocent little woman. Three months old and with her first cold. I suppose that is what happens when you have two older sisters. I thought for sure she wouldn't want to eat since she could barely breathe, but it soothed her back to sleep and she slept until 7:45am.

Abrie woke up with the worst hives I've seen to date. In fact, they even covered her poor little head. After her first nap this morning, I took my three sick little ladies to Giant to get them all Tylenol. I told Maddie and Faith they could each pick out something from their cookbooks to make with me later and get the ingredients at Giant, and Maddie said she wanted to make chicken quesadillas tonight for dinner, and Faith chose these candy topped peanut butter bar things that look really good. Well, Maddie is already asleep on the couch for her second consecutive afternoon nap-- unreal-- and it seems as though Faith will be baking solo this afternoon. She seems to be feeling better, and is having a tea party for all the dwarfs in their room right now as I type. 

I hope Crannie and the Breeze follow in Beebster's footsteps very soon, and that they all feel better. 

Busy sisters

Spent yesterday afternoon making fancy-dipped strawberries and aquarium cups with the two big sisters. Maddie found a cheap cookbook she desperately wanted at Border's the other day, and between that one and the Pillsbury Kid's cookbook she checked out from the library, she and Faith had chosen those two things to make during their little Beeba-Show's nap. Faith's naps these days are fewer and further between, but it's actually kind of nice because both she and Maddie get their big-kid time then during Abrie's nap.

Kitchen Kettle Village, attempt #2

We had tried taking the little ladies to Kitchen Kettle Village on Dan's last day of his week off, 2 Sunday's ago. Darn thing was closed. Needless to say, Maddie had been in tears and they were quite disappointed (although Faith not as much since she got to see her baa's that she adores) that they didn't get to take their Beeba to the jam shop for her first time. 

Dan wanted to take them back today since he only got one of his two days off on this break, and had been wanting to make it up to them since those two weeks ago. So, off we went this morning. They had a blast. Abrie is literally a Breeze. She's awesome. Everyone marvels at her and how she just soaks up everything while she's in the carrier. She's constantly kicking her legs with excitement, and made fast friends with some German tourists today who couldn't get enough of her and her big sisters.

Maddie was excited to show Abrie the jam shop for the first time. And, we went to the Lollipop Shoppe for the first time today too. 

*****

The one picture of Abrie cracks me up-- Faith took her blue hair bow out of her hair and placed it next to Abrie saying "Beeba Show!" and giving her a kiss and a head rub. Ha.

H-O-U-S-E

8 years in the making.

3 different apartments, 2 different states, 3 little girls later and we've got our first house. Surreal.

Dan and I are constantly saying that Breezer is our good luck charm. We were accepted on our first offer for our first home less than a month after Abrie was born. And, now with everything finalized through the VA home loan, it looks like we'll be able to leave this apartment by the end of September. The apartment that we moved to when Maddie was only 20 months old. The apartment that we brought both Faith and Abrielle home to for the first time. We have happy memories everywhere that we live, and now we're looking forward to making many happy memories in our first home.

We took the girlies over yesterday to see their house with everything pretty much packed up and out of there (since the seller has gotten out of there) and since Dan had to paint the garage door. Maddie and Faith took their Littlest Pets with them to play, and had a ball running around everywhere. Abrie loved watching them, as she always does (despite having the worst break out in hives ever-- even all of her face). I took them all for a walk around the neighborhood, and it was nice. 

We'll have our work cut out for us with the many changes we're hoping to make to the house, but we'll do it slowly and surely. It's the next phase in our lives, and I think we're going to appreciate it so much more since it's taken us 8 years to get to this point. We've been dreaming of the day we could have our little family in a house, and although it doesn't have the yard we've always wanted for our girls, it's definitely so much that we have always imagined. 

So hoping that this house will bring wonderful memories not only for Dan and I, but also for our C. and our 2 little B's. Everything we do is for them. 

Living for the simplest joys

I love days like today.

Dan wanted to take his mom and dad up to Blue Marsh today since we weren't able to join everyone for Maine last week. Despite getting home this morning from work last night, Dan still wanted to go without having slept (he later came home and slept from 3-6:45pm.. he's crazy). Little ladies were so excited, and we all had a blast.

Baby sissy is such a sweetheart. She makes all of these outings possible for us, because of how laid back she is. She comes with us down to the water when Maddie and Faith want to throw sticks into the lake's edge. She "plays" with her big sisters up on the blanket, and sits with us during our picnic lunch. She naps in her car seat while her big sisters play on the beach and swim in the lake. She's our little gem. As Maddie likes to say, "Abrie, you're not easy-- you're breeeezy!" Our sweet little Breeze. 

******

Three little girls. Three SWEET little girls. How lucky am I? I FEEL it every single day. It's a really neat feeling to know how blessed you are in life, and to SEE it through watching your family. I'm loving watching the smiles on Abrie's face when she sees Faith and Maddie in the mornings (some of her biggest smiles after the ones she gives her daddy and I), and the way Maddie and Faith scream "BEEBA SHOOOOW" when they see her emerge with me from her bedroom every morning during 'Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.' I can only imagine the fun they will have as Abrie gets older, but am in absolutely no rush to see and experience that quite yet. I'm having fun enjoying them right NOW. 

My girls

I always regret not having more pictures of myself with my precious ladies. I know they're growing up, and I'm going to miss not having these memories etched in pictures.

I love these three girls with all of my heart. They are my everything.

Valley Forge

Valley Forge day with sweet cousins. Besides each other, Guy and Beeba the First are the C. and 2 B.'s bestest friends.

A day of running, stick throwing, more berry picking, binocular toting, deer viewing, Revolutionary bunk investigating, watermelon eating, and all-around fun.

No better way to spend an afternoon!

Lake-y day with a monster headache

Dan has been off this week, and it's been heavenly. He is rarely off, and took off 3 days before his 4-day break (which he'll probably work 2 of those 4 days that he is "off") so it's been awesome having him here this week. We were supposed to go to Maine, and yet were too nervous to take Abrie on such an incredibly long car ride with me still feeding her fairly often. I would have LOVED to be in Maine enjoying the beach and lobsters! We've been wanting to show the girls where we were married those 8 years ago, and it's been so long since we've been up there. Hopefully we can get there sooner than later.

So, we've been trying to think of fun stuff around here to do this week. Fun and FREE! Dan decided last night that instead of going to Hershey today, that he wanted to try and take the girls to Blue Marsh Lake and have a picnic. They just loved that idea, as did I. He went out to Giant this morning and got all the food, and we packed everyone up after I fed Abrie this morning.

It was an awesome time at an awesome lake. The lake is just beautiful and we were so impressed with how clean it was. The sand. The bathrooms. The great stalls for feeding Abrie in private. The playground. The snack stand, etc etc. The only thing that could have made this day better would have been if I hadn't had the monster of all monster headaches for the first 2 hours that we were there. It was one of my very bad headaches-- the type that makes me hate sound, light, motion, everything. Poor Maddie and Faith. They were so worried, and I hated that I just sat there like a lump while Dan took all 3 girls down to the sand and to run around in the grass while he grilled. I didn't even get to enjoy lunch.

Luckily though, I started feeling better when Abrie took her nap and we all went down towards the water's edge. Dan went swimming with the C. and the big B. and I stayed with Abrie at our towel. I eventually did get rid of my monstrous headache, and was able to thoroughly enjoy the rest of our afternoon there. We all just loved it, and hope to get back soon now that we have found a new fun spot.

2 extra days

Baby girl was just now able to relax and go to sleep after a huge meltdown.

Poor baby. I've learned so much from Maddie and Faith that I recognize all of Abrie's cues when she feels that "get out of my face now, Momma!" with the too many toys and books, etc feeling. So, she hasn't had too many meltdowns in her short 10 weeks. But, she was totally over-stimulated the past 2 days, but in the best of ways: family! 

We spent yesterday at Guy and Ella's '5th of July' picnic, and our sweet cousins surprised us and came to play today as well. Faith and Maddie were beside themselves with excitement about yesterday. They've been super excited about the entire 4th of July holiday this year since we had so much planned. And, they just love every excuse to get to see all of their family. The picnic was awesome. They had a little peanut scramble too where they got "prizes" (lollipops and smarties) for their peanuts, and got to play in the little pool pretty much all afternoon. 

They had a blast today also: stick-throwing contest, lunch outside, picking berries, and of course the pool! Minus one small detail of Maddie nearly drowning in the big pool before I scooped her out of the water, and I'd call the past two days the most fun ever. Poor Maddie! I fell into the category of "THAT" mom (the one that turns her back for a split second when of course you know better than to do THAT!) and Maddie let go of the side of the big pool while I was with Faith just a foot away. Poor Cran later summed it up in the car and told me what she was thinking the whole time she was trying to get back to the edge of the pool: "I was thinking, 'Yep, I drowned!'" Needless to say, I've been more than slightly traumatized!

4th of July parade

Awesome 4th of July.

Definitely the best we have ever had as a family. 

We missed the Wyomissing parade last year because of the ugly weather, and I remember Maddie was so upset and crying that she wasn't able to see the floats. We made sure we were able to go this year, even though Dan had just gotten back from work this morning. He always sleeps when we get back until dinner time if there's something we want to do with them in the morning though, and this was definitely worth it. 

Maddie and Faith just loved the parade. Abrie is so funny too because she absolutely loves, loves, loves to just watch and observe while being held. She was awake the entire length of the parade and kept kicking her feet from the excitement. I didn't know that the people in the parade threw candy out to everyone like in the Mardi Gras floats in Shreveport, and so that was an extra bonus. They were in heaven collecting all their candy and tossing it into the diaper bag. 

Abrie had a "butt blast" (blow-out poop!) while we were there, and I changed her on the grass. Poor little woman with no bloomers to her dress for the rest of the time we were there! I had put her in a 3-6 month 4th of July dress this morning that I had gotten at Clothes Tree for $1.99 a long time ago (Carter's dress with the tags still on it!). She's so small that the dress was enormous on her, but I was determined to at least get a picture of her in it! Maddie and Faith chose their outfits and were excited to be red, white, and blue for "the U.S.A's birthday!" They got free balloons and free flags, and just had a blast.

******

I took all three little ladies up to the pool this afternoon while Dan slept, and it was a great time. Not crowded at all as I thought it would be. I love it because I spend my quality time with Abrielle while the big girls play together in the baby pool, and then once Breezie is down for a nap, I get to swim with my Cran and Flop. 

It was a wonderful day. Now, we are so excited about the '5th of July' picnic at Donovan and Ella's house tomorrow!

Excited for weekend

Dan was referred to as "birthday boy" ALL day today by his Crannie. I think it made his day. We made him a carrot cake yesterday, and he had three lovely ladies accompany him to the pool this afternoon. Dan is happy to be 28, and not 1,000 like Maddie told the little girls at the Constein picnic this past weekend (Faith just sat there with her hands over her mouth giggling at everything Maddie would say!).

Quite excited about the 4th of July weekend. Last year was a bust, as the girls had been looking forward to the Wyomissing parade and it had rained. So, they are quite looking forward to it tomorrow. And, then we have a picnic at Guy and Ella's house on Sunday which will be awesome. I think they will have a blast with the games and just being with everybody. And, it is always fun to see Abrie with all of her relatives. I can only imagine how much she'll look forward to stuff like this in just a short while, and how much she'll love any chance to get together with family and friends just like her big sisters love it!

Goal achieved

I did it.

I took the little women- all three of them- up to the pool this afternoon all by myself. I'd been scared to do it, figuring it would be a major disaster, but decided I could- and I would- since Dan was sleeping late after getting home from work late. 

Faith hadn't even had a nap, but the afternoon was wonderful. Of course, my big girls were limited to swimming and playing around the baby pool but they didn't mind and Faith didn't even question it. I was able to play with my Breezer for awhile during her awake time, and when she settled in to the car seat for a nap, I was able to play in the pool with my big girls. Faith even went under water more than a dozen times, and Maddie was making up her own birthday/beach/Florida/beach hotel songs which were quite unique!

This was a major accomplishment for me to get them all up to the pool without any help from Dan. It was great.