Sleeping babes

Do you know that every night before I go to bed, I come around and kiss you all and tuck you in again?

Note:  Tess is in our bed because she likes to sleep with me when Chris works nights.  And Claire has no pajamas on because she is constantly changing clothes.  And this night, she decided that she needed different jammies.  When I went in to kiss her good night, hers were on the floor next to her crib.

Snow

Birthday Invites

We have been talking about birthdays lately with Tess's 4th birthday quickly approaching.  Today, while discussing the topic, Claire asked if we could invite Santa Clause to her next birthday party....wow, that little two year old is clever!

Declan, oh boy...

Waffles

Fun with Friends

Our great friends the Cramers came to visit from Wisconsin.  The girls have met about three times before and the boys once (when Declan was weeks old).  They must take after their parents because they were all fast friends.

9 Month Comparison Pictures

Everyone asks who Baby D looks like.  Many say my brother Kevin, others think Declan is Chris with red hair.  But here is how he compares to his big sisters at the same age.

Tess:

Claire:

Declan:

Bedtime Negotiations

I am glad I went to law school because it helps me negotiate with my toddlers.  Tonight I am on my own. Right after I got home from work, I had to get all three kids fed, bathed, into bed, and asleep.  Sleep doesn't always follow lying down for the girls.  Tonight, after coming down the stairs thinking they were down for the night and putting on the kettle for tea, Claire called me back up again.  Our negotiations begin:

Claire Bear asks, from her crib, in the dark,  "Mama, can we get a cat?" (mind you, this is out of the blue and Claire is scared of cats)

Tess from her bed: "I want a dog."

Me: "Remember what we said, we can't get a pet until we are done having babies." (we have had this conversation many times - me convincing both the kids and Chris that a puppy may put me over the edge at this point.)

Tess: "Okay, I want another baby instead of a pet - a boy one again."

Claire: "But I still want a cat."

Me: "No cat."

Claire: "Okay, how about a gold fish and a baby?"

Me:  "Okay.  Fine. A gold fish and a baby."

Tess: "A boy, please."

Me: "Good night, girls."

How did I just agree to getting a gold fish and having another baby?  I hope they don't remember this in the morning...time for my tea.

Claire's view on pulp

Yesterday morning, Claire gladly took her orange juice from me and drank.  She quickly looked up at me with those inquisitive blue eyes and said, "mom, can you get the crumbs out of my orange juice?   I don't like when I have crumbs in my juice."

Cuddling It Out

So, Declan and I tried to "cry it out" today at naptime.  He insists on being rocked to sleep at naptime, but falls asleep on his own at night, so I thought we would try.  He cried for 35 mins and I ended up rocking him to sleep.  I felt bad...to make up for it, he and I cuddled for almost two hours tonight while the girls slept and Chris was moonlighting.  We both feel better now.

Go Irish, Beat Bama!

Snow Days

There hasn't been enough snow to play in yet, but that hasn't stopped the excitement (or the happy dances) every time some snow falls.  This time, Declan actually noticed the snow first.  We found him sitting by the back door memorized.  

Florida

Our first trip as a family of five was a huge success! We celebrated Chris's grandpa's 80th birthday with lots of family, beach, pool, and outside time. We were able to switch off from the hustle and bustle of the holidays to unwind, our easy-going baby's first time on a plane was no sweat, Tess amazed us (again) with her swimming ability, and Claire put her feet in the sand (a huge step from last summer)!