Amelia's first birthday party

Amelia's birthday party was a smashing success. We themed it "Winter Wonderland" and many of our friends and family were able to come celebrate our youngest lady. 

With snowflakes hanging from the ceiling all over the place, the theme was kept simple by having a hot chocolate bar, homemade sugar cookies, and popcorn. It was fun to put it all together. The big girls were too busy playing with their friends to get in on many pictures, so you don't even get to see how sweet Josie's matching outfit was with the birthday girl. I guess I need to find another excuse for them to wear their gold and cream outfits!

I used my Silhouette Cameo to make the snowflakes and Happy Birthday banner. The monthly photos poster is from Shutterfly. (See a close up version below.)

I try to use any opportunity I can to make and decorate sugar cookies because it's fun and they are so pretty. Bonus: they tasted good too!

Instead of a cake, I freehanded a large "1" cookie and gave that to Amelia as a smash cookie vs a smash cake.

I had loads of help from hubby, although you wouldn't know it from this picture...

I found the chalkboard banner at Target in the Hot Spots section. It's definitely reusable and pretty generic, so I count that as a win!

Hot chocolate bar complete with toppings.

When it was time to sing to her, she looked around the room with a solemn look on her face. I don't think she quite believed it was all aimed at her, although everyone was grinning and looking at her the entire time. While leaning over towards the candle, I think I pinched her hand a little. Poor girl, she ended up crying and never got to even try to blow out her candle.

She did recover, and happily sat in her high chair nibbling on her cookie, one piece in each hand while she watched the chaos that was happening around her. She only ended up eating a tiny piece of the oversized cookie.

She got to spend a little more time with her cousin-twin, Asher (10 weeks younger). I love seeing them side by side at different ages.

I forgot to get a family shot until all the natural light was gone, but we still got a decent one considering the party was over and the sugar highs had run out. Also, Josie had already changed by this point, so no cute matching outfits here. 

We like to do a bigger party for their first birthdays, and this one was perfect! Low stress, high fun, just the way we like it.

Amelia Jane turns one

Amelia turned one a few weeks ago! I will post about her party soon, but this post is about what she's up to right now and how much she's grown in the last month. It's crazy (and if I'm being honest, a bit of a relief) that I won't be doing her monthly posts anymore. That first year of her life is done already. So fast, yet so slow.

We went to the doctor this week (two weeks late, as always) and learned that Amelia weighs 18 lbs 10 oz (29%) and 2' 4.5'' (22%) and her weight to height ratio is just under 50%. To put it in perspective, in the last three months she's jumped up on her weight by 13% (in a healthy way of course) and slowed down on her growth in length by about 25%. Josie was 22 lbs and 30 inches tall and I can't find Audrey's stats but I think she was just about the same weight and height as Amelia is now.

Teething has been a bear lately, with her getting two molars in and at least one more working it's way down and through any day now. When it's the worst, she wants to nurse (a lot) and be held. She wants to eat but doesn't want what she has to eat. It's a hard struggle for this one year old. She used to be such an amazing eater. Now, she spends more time playing with it, throwing it on the floor, and screaming for whatever else she wants but can't communicate. It's reeeeal fun. She took to drinking milk like a pro and downs her whole glass in under five minutes, but then she won't always eat what has been put in front of her. I refuse to play the "feed her only what she wants" game at this point because it'll only encourage her to be ridiculously picky. If she doesn't eat what we are eating, she gets some cheese and more milk or water. She gained enough weight the last few months so I'm not too worried. Usually, it's a phase anyway!

Mobility. So fascinating to watch her in this area. So far, she's still not walking, but man can she cruise once she's holding on to something. I really tried to get her to let go and only hold onto my hand with one hand and she's gotten pretty good at that. She still has a lot of work to do with her balance, but you can see the progress all the time. She finally full out crawls (happened about two weeks before her birthday) and as always, it's adorable. Any time a baby crawls around, exploring, it is just the cutest thing, right? She's so very happy now that she can make her way around the house freely.

In an effort to not drive myself crazy, our house is only somewhat baby proofed. Most of the outlets have plugs, the stairway is gated off (more to keep the older two from destroying the playroom at will than anything) and sometimes I make a point to close the toilet lids. Our cleaning supplies have been on a shelf out of kids' reach since we moved in. Other than that, I've worked a lot with the older girls to remind her not to put things in her mouth. We don't keep small things or toys out (I try to pick up everything as I notice it instead of letting it be like we did before we had little babies) and the girls know that each small toy has a home and to put the toys in their homes. Generally, it's been fairly easy to keep her out of trouble. Oh, and I'm encouraging hubby to secure our larger furniture to the wall (her dresser, bookshelves, etc). She's free to roam around the main level with her sisters so it gives me piece of mind when I know she won't be crushed. Logical, I know.

The coolest part with Miss Millie is that she is understanding us more and more. I can tell her to shut the cabinet door and she'll do it. I ask her to stop doing something and she can look at me, look back at what she's doing, and stop. The crazy part is 75% of the time she really will listen and even obey. Cool, right? I am always surprised when she actually follows through and does whatever it is I'm asking. She's barely one and can't talk yet! Yet she knows to shut a door or put the toys in the basket.

She signs "all done" and sometimes claps, which also means "more" in her world. I cannot get her to do "milk" but that's okay because lately it means nursing but soon it will mean drink in general since we are phasing out of nursing. That is confusing enough for me let alone for her... so I don't push that one. She love loves loves to help me clap my hands and the other day purposely entertained me by slapping her thighs before making a sly face, over and over again. It was admittedly hilarious, so I can see why she did it a hundred times. To really bring out the laughs, she plays hide and seek with all of us multiple times a day. Sometimes she just turns her head, sometimes she hides behind a wall, sometimes she lifts up her blanket over her head. There are a bunch of variations and they are all entertaining. She's really a true entertainer. She also busts a move when she hears a good beat. It's an elusive dance that only lasts three seconds at the most, so you have to watch carefully if you want to see it.

Mostly, she sleeps from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am. She still wakes up earlier most days but will often go back to sleep with the help of a diaper change or a pacifier find. She takes a solid two naps unless we aren't home in the morning, and once in a while she still squeezes in a quick half hour nap around 4:30. I thought briefly that we were done with the first and last one, but nope, it was just a weird day or two where she was too silly to sleep (and as always we all paid for it later that day). She still likes to be snuggie wrapped in her blanket, and so really fast at hopping out of her wrapped blanket to standing position the minute she is done sleeping (or thinks she's done before she's actually begun). Also, her wake up call is screaming, so there's that. She's not the happiest upon waking.

This month is the first month that she has truly played with her sisters. They've played...at her... in the past, but now they give her princesses, make room for her, play games centered around her (age appropriate for her) and purposely seek her out to play. Josie is much better about not dragging her around so I can leave the two of them to play in the big girls' room while I get something small done. This is one of the reasons it's easier having more than one kid. When it was just Josie, nobody else could distract her or entertain her so it was left to me to try to squeeze in housework and meal prep and do that at the same time. Now, I set her up with a few toys, a sister or two, and check in often and she's as happy as can be. It's a huge blessing and I'm thankful for it.

Her report card from nursery and the gym is glowing as always. Both places have pointed out how crazy easy she has been to watch and how she is hardly phased at all when other kids take something from her or trip over her. She's turned into the typical third child with her demeanor around a lot of people. Whew! I was hoping this would happen and it did. She's full of personality but much easier to be around.

What else? There is so much more. She's seriously full of life, full of personality, and full of specific characteristics that are unique just to her. I find myself thinking about summer with a one year old and can't hardly wait. The world is so fascinating and new and exciting to her and once again I'll get to experience it through a toddler's eyes. This time, I also get to share this with two sisters who delight in her just as much (I know, I mentioned this in another post, but it's worth pointing out again). Last summer, I witnessed a set of sisters that were about the same ages as what my girls will be this summer. The bigger two led the little one around happily and helped her when she needed it while also teaching her how to play. It was the sweetest thing, watching as I held my little tiny immobile baby and I cannot wait for it to be my girls this year (outside! in the sun! and water!).

She's a delight. We love her. She's one! Now, we have a 4 1/2 year old, a 3 year old, and a 1 year old. How is this possible?? Slow down, time!

Productivity wins

What a day! Since I'm at home all week, I generally try to do the cleaning on weekdays and leave the weekends for family time. It's a huge thing, to have the whole weekend free to just be together. Of course, most weekends we have something going on or have a project in the works so we don't just have tons of time, but generally we get a lot of quality time together. You know the saying, "quality over quantity?" Well that's the goal. Hubby works a lot during the week, usually 10-13 hour days. He really makes an effort to be home for supper (usually pretty late) and bedtime (his time with the girls, I usually try not to get in the way). He tries to keep the weekends work-free as much as possible, and so far that has made for a good balance between owning a business that requires a lot of man hours and family time. 

All that to say, I spent the whole afternoon and evening cleaning and working. It was strange! It also made me grateful that we can do things the way we usually do them. I hated spending the whole day cleaning instead of just hanging out with the girls and hubby, yet I was also able to appreciate the actual act of cleaning the place up thoroughly with the help of another adult. (because kids under five are not truly helpful, amen?) 

So, I made a To Do list and went to work. Rarely am I able to get it all done (never, if we're being honest) and this time I was proud of my results. The bathrooms would have had to be redone if I had done them on Sunday since we are hosting two things on Tuesday and clean bathrooms the day is obviously a requirement. Returning something meant leaving the house and that just wasn't happening, so I didn't mind leaving that on the list. So - success! It felt so good!

Don't be deceived. Cleaning the playroom and mopping the floors are huge things that are always working against me, so getting them both done in one day meant that I was truly hustling. 

On top of the listed chores, I also went to town wiping down walls, doors, trim, and railings. Finger marks are abundant in a house with little children. I got more laundry done than planned, and dealt with a crabby baby throughout most of it. Teething is winning with the little lady, but more of that later.

Repost from instagram, but this clean kitchen makes a mama happy

And finally, I got to work in the office and  actually got completely caught up. That hasn't happened since before Amelia was born. I have been perpetually one or two months behind all year, and on top of the monthly things I have to do, I also had a list of things that should just be done because it's a hot mess in there. All of those things are done! It's like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I can breathe again. I also picked up all the junk craft stuff on the floor that had been slowly taking over, and now the room itself is much less embarrassing to show people. That's what counts, right? 

Okay, enough bragging of my amazing cleaning and working abilities...

I really got crazy, decorating the calculator and everything.

It was a productive weekend, to be sure. If you made it this far, then you are rewarded with a blurry picture of a just-waking baby. I had hoped to get a shot of her sleeping with her sweet little arms behind her head, but some sister somewhere screamed and woke her up. (Always.) So, like mentioned earlier, this girl is teething and it's painful for all of us. Can't she just get them all and be done with it? It seems never ending. 

We have a busy week full of activities (some at our house, hence the cleaning that was much needed). Here's to good health and plenty of rest! 

Winter life

This winter, this season of life, has been the best with my girls so far. We have hit a sweet spot that I suspect will last for at least a few more years. I've got to tell you, having a child old enough to talk to throughout the day, old enough to help out a little, old enough to laugh with and share memories, it's just a whole new game. What's even better is that I have two girls capable of this. What's also wonderful is that those two girls happily entertain themselves throughout the day just enough to keep me from feeling completely burned out from full time parenting every second of the day. 

I also get to have a baby around to delight in. Do I need to list all the ways to delight in a baby? Because there are many. The big girls delight in her as well. It's something we get to share together. 

Real life #1

I'm so thankful for this life I get to live, where I am able to raise these girls all day as well as nights and weekends. I've said it before, but I don't think I can say it enough. I don't take it for granted, and I'm aware that in a different life I wouldn't have this privilege.

Amelia is getting her first two molars in. It's been rough. She's clingy, not sleeping well, crying at my feet constantly, and nursing off and on all day when I let her. Amidst all of that, she's entertaining and hilarious, playing games and learning new cute behaviors like playing hide and seek with anything and everyone, talking on a pretend phone, using sign language to get more food or tell us she's done (with everything, not just eating). She is learning more developmentally than I can mention and I swear every single day, hubby and I discuss what she did that day that is new, because there truly is something new that often. She prefers to walk but won't walk (or stand for that matter) on her own, so she is constantly eyeing up any surface within crawling distance that she can practice walking along.

Josie and Audrey are both embracing "school" lessons and are constantly asking for more projects to do. I've given them more access to our arts and crafts supplies now that they are more responsible and generally follow our rules about them. They both color all the time, sometimes work with their stamps, will happily draw pictures and practice letters (or shapes, as Audrey isn't quite there yet with letters). Josie is slowly learning to read. I'm not rushing it since she's still fairly young. I have noticed that it's worked well to do one day of her reading lesson, sometimes doing two at once, and then take off a few days before doing another. She seems to take a huge leap forward and the next lesson almost seems simple or easy compared to where she ended the lesson before. It's amazing to see her little mind grow and get stronger as she learns all about this world and how to be in it. Audrey is in the thick of being three, with all those three year old emotions. She's like a light bulb, all on and happy or all off and sad/mad/confused/bewildered/frustrated. Her hand eye coordination is improving rapidly and she's really taking off with her preschool workbook activities. Also, she's practically catching up to Josie in size. That age gap seems to be closing faster and faster.

Lately, our day to day activities consist of this: We leave the house almost every single day. It's good for all of us. When we are home, Josie and Audrey are busy playing in their room, downstairs in the playroom, at the table doing art projects, or on the couch reading stories, always together. Sometimes I join them, sometimes I'm cooking, reading, knitting (so slow at this let me tell you), doing chores, or getting office work done. Most of the time, I'm attending to Miss High Maintenance, Amelia. I can't be too far from her yet so she's usually playing around me while I do the above activities. When the girls have too much energy, I shove them outside. It's been nice enough weather to do this whenever it's needed, which is awesome and very unusual for this time of year. I have very rarely had to resort to the back up babysitter, the tv, and I'm grateful for that. We seem to have gotten into a good routine of finding other entertainment, and I don't want to spoil that by offering it more than absolutely necessary.

We all have quiet time during Amelia's afternoon nap. The older girls are separated and it helps them appreciate each other more when they get to play together afterward. We've ventured outside to go for a walk exactly one time this month. I always want to, but haven't been great about making time for it. You'd think we'd have opportunities all day long to do this, but we stay just busy enough where it doesn't always fit in. Also, early or late afternoon is really the best time of day to go (warmer, more light) but we are always working around something, whether it's lunch, naps, gym time, or evening activities. I'm hoping to fit this in better in the near future. I think it's good for all of us to be used to being outside even when it's not 70 degrees out. Jo and Audrey do play outside more often than that, but I want the girls to see me outside too, enjoying it even, as well as having them experiencing it on their own.

Real life #2

 I feel like this update is a bit redundant. I know I did an update not too long ago covering some of this, but I just don't want to forget these little details. I love our life right now, this stage we are in. We have time to visit friends and get our errands done. We aren't shuffling around a hectic school schedule. We have time together, really it's a crazy amount of time that we actually spend together, and I enjoy almost all of it. Like I said, it's a sweet spot that I don't ever want to forget.