Anna-Kate: ONE Month!

Anna, You are ONE month old. Today is June, 22nd, 2013....but obviously this is posted a little late.

You are so beautiful. I still can't figure out who you look like. Everyone says Emily, but I swear that's not right. When I look at Emily's one month photos, you don't look like her at all. I think you look like the triplets, especially Maddy and Claire...but more Maddy then anyone. Your face and her face and rounded the exact same way. But I also think your mouth is so Natalee, in the way it is perfectly shaped. No matter what you are so beautiful and I can't stop starring at you.

You have dark grey/blue eyes.

You have the most perfect lips.

Your nails grow so fast, I swear I have to cut them every three days or so.

Your hair is still a light brown with some red/blonde in it. It is definitely is on the lighter side though, and so soft.

You probably weigh around 8.5 - 9lbs. You have definitely grown. Your head has doubled in size, I swear.

Your skin has finally stopped flaking off.

You are now in size one diapers. You have very sensitive skin and I need to put diaper cream on you all the time. You haven't had any big blow-outs...yet.

You are wearing Newborn clothes and will be for awhile I think. 

You love baths now and it almost puts you to sleep.

You are eating every three hours. You are a very fussy eater. I don't know if it's reflux or not, but I am keeping a close eye on it and trying to figure out what it is that's causing you to be so fidgety and uncomfortable.

You are still on 100% breast milk.

You sleep between most of your feedings but you have a lot more periods of being awake now, and your eyes are so bright and wide open when you are awake. You love to bob your head all around and see what's going on.

You LOVE to lay on your belly, flat or in the boppy pillow.

You have found the TV and are mesmerized by it at night if you see it.

You love the swing.

You went on your first road trip to PA, a 2 hour car drive and you did great. You were definitely our best behaved child in the car. And on the way home, you started crying one exit before our house...so I'd say once again, you were the best behaved child then too!

You met so many of your wonderful family and our close friends in PA. Everyone loved you to pieces and you got very used to being held. No one wanted to put you down, but I can't blame them, you are so sweet to snuggle with...but it has been a rude awakening for you since we've been home.

You love your binki. And you will love your new lovie that your Auntie and Uncle gave you. I have been searching for a very specific one for you and they found one and gave it to you. It's perfect and so far you seem to agree.

You love to be swaddled. I moved you to your pack-n-play (still right next to me), but still have you swaddled, and laying in the boppy to prop you up some to sleep. You are doing great.

You pretty much go everywhere with me. Daddy can handle your four sisters pretty good, so I take you with me most of the time for errands and appointments. I have left you a few times and even though it overwhelms your Daddy, he still handles five little ones really well...I can't complain too much!

We love to you pieces, our sweet Anna! I can't believe you've been here a whole month already and I can't remember what life was like before you! (Whom I kidding...yes, I can...I was MISERABLE and couldn't wait for you to get out of me!! :) )

Pretty in Purple

I may be biased, but I think this little girl is just about the prettiest little thing I have ever seen.

Me love her.

Happy 6 Weeks Em!

Yesterday our little peanut was 6 weeks old!

I can't believe she has been in our lives for six weeks! She is such a great and easy-going baby! God definitely blessed us there! She has started smiling anytime she sees her Momma and cooing all of the time at her Daddy!

Claire coming to get her!

And GUILTY!!!!!!!

Claire, Did you take sissy's socks?!?!?!

We love her more than words can express!

Emily: You are ONE Month Old!

Sweet, sweet Emily June, 


You are ONE MONTH OLD! Today is February 26, 2012!


I cannot believe an entire month has gone by in your little life already! You are such a blessing in every way! 


I have had so many emotions over this past month! While it's been so hectic with so much going on, I have tried to really enjoy some special quiet times with just you and I. I want to remember every moment with you, my littlest love.


I have so enjoyed being your Mommy this past month. I was so thankful to have everything go so smoothly through my pregnancy with you, the wonderful birth of you, bringing you home to your sisters, breastfeeding you, and just enjoying being with you during your first month of life, something I didn't get with your sisters. There has been a lot through this first month that I didn't get to do and experience with your sisters, that I have cherished doing for and with you during this first month. Keeping you in our hospital room, bringing you home from the hospital with us, giving you your first bath at home and just experiencing being with a true healthy newborn during the first month of life. 


I have loved and tried to remember each moment and I am so thankful. I thank God every day for you. I truly and whole-heartedly believe that God gave me you for a reason. Everything in life happens for a reason and you were created and made with love and truly a gift from our Lord. I can't imagine my life without you and the peace you have brought to my life and my soul. I think God gave me you to heal a lot of my wounds that I experienced with your sisters. You are truly a miracle gift to me, as are your sweet sisters. You are a true miracle and sometimes when I stare at you, I still ponder the thought of how all the stars must have lined up so perfectly for your creation. It still blows my mind, but I am forever grateful to our Lord.


I am so glad God chose you to join our family, it already seems like you have been here forever. It was meant to be. You were meant to be. I love you so much and so does your Daddy. Don't ever forget how much we love you and how thankful we are for you!


Love Always and Forever, Mommy

Birth: 7 lbs. 14 oz. and 19 3/4 inches

When we left the hospital: 7 lbs. 9 oz.

2 Weeks: 8 lbs.


2w6d: 8 lbs. 6 oz.

1 Month: Probably bigger than 9 lbs., but not yet to 10 lbs. is my guess!

Your hair is brown. Not as dark as Natalee's and not as light as your twin sisters.

Your eyes are a brownish grey.

You have beautiful and perfect little lips.

Everyone says you have long fingers and nails, just as your sisters did when they were born.

You are wearing size 1 Pampers Diapers. You have constant blowouts and we go through a lot of outfits during the day and night!

Your clothes are Newborn and some 0-3 outfits. Some Newborn onesies are already to small. You are very long, just like everyone else in our family! I think in the coming week I will be putting most of your Newborn sized clothes away! :(

You are a great sleeper! The first few days of your life you had your days and nights mixed up but after we got that straightened out, you have done wonderful! You normally sleep from around 9pm to 4-5am and then eat and go back to sleep until 9-10am! How awesome are you!? On 02.23.12, you had your longest night-time stretch from 9:30PM to 5:00AM!

You are exclusively breastfed and I truly enjoy every moment of it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE NOT pumping at all and it has been a wonderful experience this time! You eat about every 3 hours during the day and like I said above, you are a great sleeper and can go for long stretches at night, which I love! Thank you for that sweet girl!

We moved into our new home just 15 days after your birth and you haven't even noticed...mostly because you sleep like all of the time! So, therefore you have had a very smooth transition. :)

We call you E, Em, Emme and Emily. Of course lots of other names too, like, baby girl, peanut, sweetie, little love, Miss E.

Between two and three weeks old, you really became more awake and aware of things around you. Your cry became louder and more forceful also!

You have the same birthmark on the back of your head just like Natalee does!

I love when you smile in your sleep.

You love to be held.


You are the BLOW-OUT Queen! I swear I go through more outfits with you than I did with all three of your sisters!


You have some baby acne, and I absolutely hate it! Poor girl!

You love, love your binki!


You are very patient. I think you may know Mommy is a very busy woman and has to constantly go after your crazy big sisters. I praise Jesus for giving you a sweet, patient soul.

I am so in love with your little fists. I must kiss them a million times each day.


You started cooing on 02.22.12, and I forgot how adorable the sound is. I almost cried!


I think you look more and more like Claire everyday! Although, many, many people say you look like Natalee, but I don't see that at all.


You have met lots of important people in our family over the past month. Your Great-Nana and Great-Aunts already adore you, as does your Great-Grandma. You and your sisters are the only Great-Grandchildren on both sides of our family! You are so blessed to have all four of your Great-Grandmas/Nanas alive! How awesome is that!?


You love to swing and be in your bouncy seat. 


You sleep in Mommy and Daddy's room in a bassinet. But we are going to order your crib this month.


You have gone everywhere with Mommy this past month. I finally left you for a few hours with your Nana, Great-Nana and Great Aunt Beth on Saturday, 02.25.12. You did great but Mommy missed you!


You love to be rocked.


You get a bath every other day and you LOVE it. It doesn't surprise me at all seeing how much your sisters love their bath-time!


I love to just hold you and I am cherishing every single piece of your little self.