three weeks

Can it be that the littlest has been with us three weeks already?  Time flies when you are having fun, somewhat overtired, and constantly stimulated by little people loving on you, needing you and calling out for your attention.  Junebug celebrated this monumental milestone by engaging her mama with gentle coos.  I very much enjoyed my first conversation with the littlest.  I can tell she already has a lot on her mind.

 

 

Sharing secrets with Daddy.

 

 

Clean, cozy and worn out from a day full of activity.

jungle gym

The littlest is becoming more alert each day and has started to track with her eyes.  And, in spite of her vision still being a bit hazy, I love to see her search out our faces and make eye contact, her dark stare attentive and full of curiosity.  To celebrate her new wakefulness, I brought out the ol' play mat, which prompted celebratory cheers from the older two.  Jeff and I watched in amusement as each of our sweet ones batted at the dangling toys, and all but smothered the littlest with their positive affirmations and gigantic warm bodies. 

 

 

Careful June.  It's a jungle out there.

 

 

Flashback

 

The little lady taking her first swing at the dangling jungle-themed toys.

 

The little man bright-eyed and curious.

 

 

 

 



little ladies

 

 

splish splash

 Jeff has always been the one to give our babies their first baths.  We were all anticipating her first tub bath after two weeks of sponge baths on the living room floor.  At last the remains of her umbilical cord fell off, and into the tub she went.  For the record, our littlest does not enjoy being pampered and wails through the entire process of being bathed from the initial stripping down of clothing to the final rub of lotion.  She's either attempting to put on the air of being low-maintenance or we have another diva in the making.

 

 Rub a dub dub, one Junebug in a tub.

 

 



A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - silence.

thankful.

 This holiday season we are grateful to the Lord for the arrival of the littlest who arrived just in time to be the center of attention at Thanksgiving.  (Jeff's golden deep fried turkey was a close second.) We were pleased to introduce her to Jeff's side of the family as we packed up our family of five and made the relatively uneventful trip to St. Joseph, Michigan. (The kids traveled well, and we were pleased to only stop once.)  There were plenty of arms to hold little Junebug, who slept the holiday away.  And, while the littlest slept, our older two entertained the adult cousins with their endless energy, mischievous ways, and boisterous chatter.  My heart was full as I listened to the laughter of loved ones, admired our three sweet ones, and savored each bite of our Thanksgiving feast. 

 

Auntie Dawnie getting her first look of June Elizabeth, who shares her Auntie's middle name.

 

Uncle Bob proving he has the magic touch, and is good with children of any age.

 

Doc and June

 

Mimi and her "JuneE"

Grammy, Joey, Mimi, June and Charlotte

Auntie Chris and the littlest

 

Our little turkey.



getting to know you

There are no shortage of sweet moments in our cozy apartment as we each get to know our littlest lady.  Each of us has our own unique way of bonding with little Junebug, and collectively we treasure each moment that is spent with her, admiring her, caring for, studying her, and loving her.

 

  Jeff looks for every opportunity to read aloud to her, is quick to change diapers, and cradle her like a football.  The little lady has developed a speaking voice for June alone that is high, direct and soothing ("Ohhhh, are you hungry?!  Do you want Mama's milk? You are sooooooo little.  Yes, you are!").  She looks for ways to comfort our littlest, pacifying her with sweet shushes and tender words of affection.  The little man has dubbed baby June "his best friend" and can often be heard cooing "Hey Sfeetie, my little pumpkin."  He looks for each opportunity to have direct eye contact with the littlest, which is limited due to the many hours she spends sleeping, and can often be found sitting beside her papasan chair admiring her features which are "soooo tiny!"  And, as for me I love to hold my littlest up on my shoulder, listening to her quick breaths and contented sighs as she falls asleep each night, and the quiet time we share in the morning as she gazes up at me ready for her first meal of the day.

 

 

 



A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - once upon a time



he's three.

How quickly our little man has grown from a nine pound bundle of joy...

 

 

to a joyful thirty-nine pound bundle of energy, spirit, mischief, and boyish charm.

 

A bundle of love who for the record continues to be a mama's boy...

my boy.

 

With little sister born one week prior to his big day, our celebration was simple and intimate. A party of five.

 

 

I was thankful for our littlest lady's stellar napping on his special day, which allowed me to grant his one request, a "blue cake," which he sweetly declared, "Delicious!"

 



 

Getting a sneak peek of his cake.

 

 

 

The evening was a true reflection of our little man's personality and preferences at this stage of life.  He sported only underwear for the occasion, allowed big sister to micromanage every aspect of the gift opening including the actual opening of gifts, became fixated on one gift, and savored each aquamarine bite of his cake, taking great care to consume every bit of frosting that touched his plate.

 

"I'm the only guest coming to your party, Bud."

 

Actually, he had two guests.

 

Happy 3rd Birthday, Little Man.  You are loved, sweet boy.



A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - comparison

 

Little Lady                   Little Man                 Littlest Lady

iPhone baby

Our littlest lady is one week and two days old.  To be honest the week has flown by as we have marveled over our newest addition, and observed our three little ones in action.  Already we are greatly amused by our trio, and count our blessings daily.  There is still so much to document, journal entries unfinished, a baby book yet to be started, and blog posts to compose telling of her birth story, our little man's third birthday, and the sweet stories of daily life as a family of five.  So for now, I'm grateful for my iPhone which has been my faithful bedside companion capturing our little lady, man and littlest one in action. 

 

The big transition to Five - June's first week of life

 

Preparing to leave the comforts of the hospital

 

 

Awaiting discharge papers, Mom and Dad ready to reenter the real world

 

Sweet gazes

 

Four days old, and adjusting to life

Late night cuddle session with Daddy

 

First trip to the doctor's.  All is well! 

"Gaining weight like gangbusters."

 

 

When life is too much to bear...

 

Bright-eyed and rested

 

One week old

 

Savoring her restful moments, so much to take in

 

Sisters