Resolutions

Blogging has obviously not been a top priority for me over the past year. I am making it a new year resolution to blog more. I love to look back at what I have written about our little lives & plan to use this as my kids baby book & actually get it printed one day.  How neat would that be? It seems like almost all my fellow bloggies have also fallen off the train as well. So get writing people & entertain me :)  We have been busy...but isn't everyone? I noticed that my blogging significantly fell off once little Chase made his enterence into our family. Having three vs. two (for me) has been quite a game changer. Although I do have to say that once Carter & Chloe turned 4 things seemed to get a lot easier with them.  3 was a hard year for us, 4 has been pretty great so far. So hang in there all you Momma's of 3 year olds there is light!
We had such a good holiday in our new house. Things just felt right & so cozy. 2012 was a year of huge transition  for us & at times things were tough. But it felt like our Christmas was one big gift at the end of a long journey. The twins were at a wonderful age for Christmas and we felt like they truly got it this year...finally :). We went to see Santa, threatened them countless times about being naughty & nice, put cookies out for him & the reindeer on Christmas Eve and enjoyed 'helping' me wrap presents as prep for Christmas. We enjoyed lots of family gatherings and I felt like C & C truly grasped how large their family actually is. There are so many people that love ours kids, which we feel extremely blessed with.
Chase is at the full on crazy age. Climbing tables, running, crashing into things, opening every single cupboard in the house, playing in the toilets, finding anything small & putting it in his mouth, opening & unloading the garbage, stair climbing.....and the list goes on & on.  He is still huge to, wearing clothes that Carter wore when he was two & his little pork chop feet don't fit into any shoes that Carter wore at this age because they are so wide. Love my little chubby baby. He is FINALLY sleeping through the night consistently. Well, it most likely helps that I  don't give him bottles at night anymore....it only took me a year & 1/2..... but hey whose counting though ;). You would think this was my first rodeo! Anyway, be on the look out for more blogging from me!  Happy New Year.

O' Christmas Tree

Ever since we went to the tree farm last year to get our tree Carter has been talking about getting our tree this year. Needless to say it was an exciting thing for our family to do together. Our trip to the farm was not without our usual craziness though. Sometimes I feel like we just need circus music following us around wherever we go because we are a zoo. Even though Jerame & I were both sweating it was such a wonderful memory to make as a family & worth every bead of sweat. The craziness is what makes it fun, right?!  I will look back on these chaotic times as the most cherished of my life, I know I will. These 3 little beautiful kiddos have made our holidays so special thus far. We are so blessed to get to share the magic of Christmas with them yet again. My Dad accompanied us to get the tree as it was one of his buddies farm. 

Walking Boy

                                                      

At 13 months old (yesterday) I think we can say Chase is an official walker. I love love love this age. I like walking so much better than crawling. I am just soaking up every little thing baby about him right now because I know it's going to be gone in a flash. He seems like so much more of a baby to me still than the twins did at One. I wonder if it is because he is our last baby? He doesn't have very much hair still & the twinnies had full heads of hair by now. He is such a little lover baby and loves to give hugs and be cuddled still. He slept through the night for one week straight back in Oct (the first time he had ever slept through the night) then he got sick and started waking up at night again. When I took him in for his 1 year apt a few weeks back the Dr. told me that I HAVE to stop feeding him bottles in the middle of the night when he wakes up because the longer I do that the longer he will wake up at night. DUH. Tell me something I don't already know DOC. I guess I just had to work up to it because at  1 year and almost 1 month later I let him cry it out. Yup...I did it! Jerame was holding me down in bed at 3am saying...don't do it...don't go get him...he is fine. It actually physically hurts my body to hear him scream and cry :(. I just picture him standing up holding onto the side of his crib waiting for me to come in & scoop him up. But the good news is, he only screamed for about 20 minutes that 1st night before going back to sleep for the rest of the night. The next night he only woke once & cried for a short time and then last night no waking at all. This is huge progress people!  I think by Christmas he is going to be running after the twins to keep up with them. They are still so good with him & really adore him. Chloe is such a little Momma to him even when he grabs a hold of her hair & rips it out in handfuls she still never gets anrgy with him. This will all change I know but it's so sweet to see the love they have for him.

meet Charlie

My parents got a new boxer puppy. He is like having another baby around....the kiddos adore him. One thing is for sure though...I am happy that he lives with my parents & not us. I think having a puppy would through me right over the edge :) 

Pumpkin Patch

Such a fun fall tradition. The kids loved it this year and we escaped right before the huge rain storm rolled in! This was technically Chase's 2nd trip to the pumpkin patch but last year he was only 2 weeks old and slept the entire time. It was fun experiencing it with all 3 of them this year! Love our little family.  

photo dump

Some pics from my phone from the last few weeks

 Chase was having fun sitting on the big rock in front of our house watching the twins ride their scooters. 

 He was thinking he was pretty cool sitting up there 

 BFF's unloading the cabinets

 Waiting for swimming lessons to start

 princess

 Chase has a million teeth coming in right now and he has been sick as a dog with a nasty cold :( 

 Chloe & I during a late night visit to urgent care last weekend. They finally gave a nebulizer for at home use so hopefully we will be able to avoid taking her in so often for her Asthma. Poor little pumpkin. 

 Chase helping during our blinds installation last week

One of the few bday party's we had for Chase's 1st! 

Out to dinner with my girls for my bday

Bella's fav spot to lay in our new house...so funny, looks like she is in jail 

One Year

Little Chase turned ONE last week. Time is moving fast these days. I am watching my baby grow up right before my eyes it seems. I am not sure how I feel about it either...I guess I have no choice in the matter though.  Sometimes I get a little sad as he is our last baby but other times I get excited as his little personality is showing through so much these days. He just keeps on getting more  fun. People often think he just turned two, not one. He is the size of a lot of 18 month olds. He is practicing walking more and more. He is still the happiest, most content, mellow little guy ever. He is getting pretty busy but is always happy with whatever he happens to be exploring. He loves to eat anything and everything the kiddos are eating. He does not like baby food at all anymore and will push away the spoon if you try to feed him. He loves his bottles and I am not about to wean him of those anytime soon.  I remember when the twins turned one we went cold turkey with no bottles. That is one of those things I felt so much pressure to do the first time around but this time I am going to let him be a baby, because he is one :). He is a champion nap'er but still not the best night sleeper. I still don't mind getting up with him, it's our snuggle time. I bet he would actually sleep through the night if I just didn't get up with him but for some reason I just don't want to cry it out with him. And I am fine with it.  I am so obsessed with this little guy,  I want him to stay a baby forever! He is such a little blessing for our family. I think I see another blonde Thurik boy in our future...we shall see though!  His hair is coming in very slowly :)