Levi {1 month}

We're at it again, the monthly progressions, this time it is Levi's turn and he is 1 month old!!

My little buddy.

We all call you brother, or broder

I actually think you will hear that way more in your lifetime than your actual name

You love to cuddle and be held, way more than any of my girls.  I love your cuddles, I just wish I had about 6 more arms so we could do it more, because the problem is you've got 3 older sisters so my hands can get full, just kind of.

You weight a whole 8.6 lbs now

You went from being in the 2% to the 6% percent for baby boys.......probably guessing you won't be a football player......things could change though

You are just now filling out in newborn clothes and diapers.  You are still tiny, but getting some cheeks.

I find it hard to believe you will ever fit in any of the other clothes hanging up in your closet

You hated your swing up until this week..... I don't know what the deal was, but I just prayed that you would like your swing because being the 4th child and all you have to be kinda flexible, sorry buddy, you can't really be picky.   So you went from crying every time I put you in it, to falling asleep peacefully.

You like to hold your poop, for like days and days and days, like 11 days!! and then go poop crazy!

You still remind me the most of Maya, just with the way you look and how you are as a baby and your tininess. I have a feeling you 2 are really going to get along.

Although you are a little more unpredictable than your sisters.  You do the eat, awake, sleep pattern,  just like them, but your fussy times seems to be random , some mornings, some evenings, some days you aren't fussy at all.  You are more fussy with daddy than with me though........I guess you must love me more :O)

I never knew having a little boy could feel so different, even at one month old, but it does.  I love your affection and that you are already smiling with your eyes wide open looking at me.  I love the happy sigh you give every once in a while.  I love that you toot out loud while you are eating, just like your dad.  I love that your hair is still dark and not showing signs getting lighter.

 I just love you Levi.  Happy 1 month

anyone want to redesign my blog header? I should probably include Levi in it!

Sarah turns 2 {Donuts & Milk}

My baby girl turned 2 at the end of September!

I often think the Lord totally knew what he was doing when he gave us Sarah.  Well, of course He did! 

She is always a bright spot in my day, making me laugh with her easy going and bubbly personality.

She reminds me to not always take things so seriously and that although life can be hard, it can also be filled with joy.  She has a way of always being light-hearted in all situations.  Even when she walks, she is always bouncing!

She is constantly making me laugh, even when she is being naughty

She bounces and skips her way into time out and then sings while she sits there.    When we go to speak to her about her disobedient behavior, she waves (with her whole body) and smiles and says, "Hi Mama, Hi Dada"

She threw a coloring book toward me the other day and I told her, "Sarah don't throw!" and she looked at me and replied, "No My Funny!" 

When I told her we needed to put on her diaper and jammies she said, "no no no, NAKED NAKED NAKED! and bounced around the house.

Oh and she grabs her booty and exclaims, "Booty! Booty! Booty!" while shaking it

Oh dear..... what am I going to do with my comedian

She always says, "wuv you mama" and it just melts my heart.

I love her

We had a little Donuts and Milk party for her to Celebrate her 2nd birthday, thanks to the idea of my friend Celine.   It was simple and easy, no cupcakes or cake or anything difficult, just Donuts and Milk and lots of cute kids.

I only spent about $3 on decorations (just 6 pieces of scrap booking paper, utilized to the max)

We had lots of Donuts

and chocolate milk from Costco

She is obsessed with milk!
 

 The Kids made some fruit loop necklaces

singing to my birthday girl

Presents
 

My Princess, the birthday girl Sarah, letting me know that these are her cheeks!

So Thankful for her!

What having 4 kids is like

Everyone seems to be asking me, "so what is it like having four kids?"  I don't know if they really care to know or if that is just the question you ask a mom with four kids, either way it is getting asked a lot!

Yes, I have 4 children, ages 5 and younger.

HAHAHAHA!!!! 

why don't we all just laugh at that statement for a few seconds..........

Yep, still funny and totally daunting! 

Who am I?

Remember, I totally threw out the idea out the window years ago of my "white picket fence" life with 2 children, but still to ever picture my life with 4 children ages 5 and younger, yeah I didn't picture that either.  I am "that mom"  The one you all look at  in the grocery store with wide open eyes in astonishment, thinking to yourself, "that mom is crazy, wow, does she have her hand full!"  Yep, that's me and I'm good with it, crazy stares and all.  I signed up for it, well most of it....

And I am not alone.  I know lots of families with 4 children.  Lots of my Omaha friends actually, many of them have 4 young children!  Maybe I should move back to Omaha........ 

Na,  I will just stay here and be ostracized

To answer the question,

"what is it like having 4 kids?"

I can't give you a realistic answer yet for 2 reasons.

One, my mom has been here for a whole month basically doing everything for me, including taking care of me while I am sick.  I am sure she has been thrilled to pieces basically taking care of 5 children while she has been here, a wonderful vacation. 

 She has truly been amazing though, a total rock star, and so many of my friends who have had babies have not had this great blessing like I have and I am so grateful!

Helping Grammy

 

Number 2 reason I don't know reality yet is just my sickness.  I haven't had a cough this bad since any of my children have been alive, so I don't think being sick like this is reality either.

My Mom leaves on Tuesday morning, yikes, sad, and exciting all at once. Anyone want to come live with us?  I am excited to get in my groove, and settle into a good routine.  I will miss my mom like crazy though, not just from her help, but just being near her and her daily company.   The girls love her to pieces so her presence in general will just be missed.

4 is harder, I mean that is the obvious answer.  Adding another child into the dynamic isn't going to be instantly easy, but I love having our little man here.  I love his presence

I love the interaction that his sisters have with him.  They love him.  And do you know who is the most interested in Levi right now?  Baby Sarah.  She always points him out, brings me things while I am nursing and when he cries she says with concern, "broder crying." 

And Maya, she totally adores him and wants to hold him and have me take pictures of them

And Norah just wants to hold, and squeeze and love Levi to death, which reminds me so much of her mommy Carrisa, but if she could she would be with him all day.

And then there is Brett, there is nothing like a father and son together .....sleeping

But I will let you know in about another month, how it is "really" going, you know without a built in Grammy.

Yep we have 4 kids, 5 and under, and I love them all!

Maya

Norah 

Sarah

 

Levi

 

alive (ish)

I am still here, but I have been really sick for almost 2 weeks, up coughing all night, oh and i have a newborn and my i photo wont open so i cant do much with pictures......and I have 3 other kids.  I will be up and running soon, or at least breathing normal and will get back to blogging.  I just need to get into my new groove.  Thanks for your patience! 

Dear Levi

Dear Levi

This letter was suppose to be written before your arrival, but you came a little early, so now this letter is a little late, sorry buddy.

Before you were born I thought it would be nice for you to have your own birth month and not have to share it with your sister Sarah and both have September birthdays, but then I would always think to myself, that would make you a bit early (like 2 weeks), so probably not.  And the morning I new you were coming, Aug 31, all your dad and I could think was that your little personality was already saying, "I ain't sharing nothin with my sisters!" Ha!

I already miss you being in my belly, your little kicks (well actually big kicks), your hiccups, that special time we had...... you are/were probably the last baby to be in my belly and that is so very special, and something I will always remember and hold close to my heart.

Levi, before you were ever born, before I even knew what you looked like, I couldn't imagine our family without you.  You have such a special and unique place in our hearts,  you are our first son.

Yes, you have 3 older sisters, crazy and scarey, huh?!?!  I used to think you would be doomed, doomed to have so many girls around you, older than you, bombarding you!  But, you know, now I think that you are going to make the best husband someday.  You will know women better than anyone!  You will be loved and cared for like no one else.

Entering our Goodlin family dynamic is a unique situation.  I often wonder how I will explain to you how our family was formed, when you will be old enough to tell and to understand.  Our family has suffered a great deal of loss and heartache, and I pray you will never have the same heartache in your life, but as Wes Stafford prayed over you, "that you will have just enough heartache to rely on the Lord."  I will never forget those words, from the Compassion International president, it was like he already knew the thoughts and prayers I had for you.

I wish so badly that your grandma Fran were here,  she left this world so suddenly and was just shy of meeting your oldest sister Maya.  I can't express to you how much she would have loved you, cuddled you and been a close part of your life.  She would have been so excited to have a grandson living so close.!  And my Dad, Eugene Paul, he would have been your grandpa, and you were partly name after him Levi Paul.  He was the most joyful person I have ever know.  I pray that although you will never meet him on earth that part of his spirit will alreays live with you.  He is the one who told me, in a dream, that you were a boy.  I would like to think that he knows, he knows you are here, that you were his first grandson, that you are so very special.  He would be so proud.  And then there are my brother and sister, your uncle Darren and aunt Carrisa,  you won't get to meet them on earth either, and their lives have touched and changed so many people, I wish you could just know a tiny bit of who they were.

But for each loss there is also a gift, a person that you do get to meet and share part of your earthly life with instead.  Now you get meet Grandpa Ed, he will love you unconditionally and teach you how to be the best runner!  And Grandma Yami, she has already spoiled you, she outfitted you for your entire first year of life!  And Norah, one of your older sisters, you are blessed to have her as a sister in your life now, not just a cousin and she adores and loves you soooo much!

There are many people who look at our life, and our family and think it is too much, that we have to many small children and now another?  Levi, please know you are never to much, that God set a perfect and special place for you in our family in His timing.  We are so blessed and excited to have you.

And although I am sad that you are not in my belly anymore, I am so excited that I have gotten to meet you!! My sweet little boy.  I can't wait to get to know your personality, your unique quirks and ways about you.  I already love you so much and never want to let you go.

Welcome to this world son