Family Pictures (cell phone style)

We haven't had a real deal family picture taken since a few months after lil' peanut came home.  And, I've been a total slacker on getting baby's pictures done.  Isn't that the way it goes.  Firstborn gets taken for pictures at one week, one month, three months, Christmas, Valentine's Day, six months, nine months, Tuesday, etc. ;)  I swore this would not be me!  I'm a third child.  And my baby book is seriously sparse.  I'll cut my mom some slack.  I get it.  You just don't have the time on your hands when the third one comes along that you did when you just had one.  Not only that, but I'm just better at soaking it up now.  Yay!  He stood up for the first time today.  I should write that down.  But, man my toddler is napping and I have the luxury to keep holding this sweet, sleeping baby close...yeah I'll write it down later.  I'm living in all these babyhood moments, I'm just not doing a good job recording them.  All that to say, family pictures!  We need some!  So, I found a gal on facebook.  Super reasonable prices and good photos.  Let's get those six month baby photos done and some family shots.  Her first opening is when baby is almost seven months.  Ok, we'll take it.  Uh-oh, weather looks shady so I ask her about a plan B, place with a covered patio?  Our house?  She says we'll play it by ear in the morning.  Which means I get a text saying we should reschedule.  The ground is too wet and she wants us to get a good variety of shots and how boring if we're just standing up in all of them.  Ok, I agree.  I want good photos too.  At least I hadn't gone through the trouble of getting everyone ready yet.  We reschedule for the following Sunday bright and early.  We're up.  We're ready.  We're out the door.  We're there!  And then an email shows up on my phone.  "I'm so sorry I woke up sick.  Can we reschedule?"  What the what?!  I don't curl my hair just to take my kids to play at the park lady!  Do you not have my phone number?  Maybe an actual phone call?  Or at least a text message?  She was not there.  I was mad.  Hubs put the van in park, whipped out his cell phone and declared "Oh we came here for a photo shoot.  We're having a photo shoot!"  And he unloaded the big boys and herded them toward the train tracks singing "Let it go" from Frozen.  So, we had our photos taken.  The photographer was free, but man do you get what you pay for!?  He was all "Sit on the bull I don't care if it's wet!" and threatening to spank people if they didn't smile.  It actually turned out to be a really fun morning.  The boys got lots of play time at the park.  We went to Starbucks (hubby really does know how to cheer me up) and we got some cute pictures.  You'll be seeing these outfits again.  I got my deposit back from No-show Nellie and called my fave photographer who I would love to use more often but she's a bit pricey (totally worth it pricey because her pictures are amazing) just not the kind of prices I can pay for a photo shoot at one month, three months, six months.... ;)  What do you think?  Is hubby in the wrong career field?  He assures me that all he needs is a good camera and he could start charging.

Kemah Boardwalk

After working through the weekend, hubby went in late on a Monday morning. We dropped C off at school and spent a little time spoiling peanut. We went to Starbucks, of course! Then we took him to ride the train at the Kemah Boardwalk. He was ecstatic. I used to do stuff like this with C all the time.  He was my only and it was super easy to just get up and go.  Lil' peanut spends more time hanging out at the house since he's got a baby brother around.  So it was really fun to get out and do something just for him. He is the kind of child that makes spoiling him really enjoyable. He just relishes being delighted in and he expresses gratitude all on his own. Love this little guy.

Mother's Day 2014

Brothers being silly

A growing family

Life just keeps chugging along.  Sometimes I'm totally with it.  Got my conductor hat on and I am the boss of this train!  Other times I'm that lady with bags falling off her shoulders chasing it down hoping to board before it gets too far ahead. ;) 

 

I need to catch my breath.  I've neglected this space, not for lack of things to share.  I'm just busy breathing.  It's still a little surreal to me that we are a family of FIVE now!  We were a family of three for a long time.  We didn't plan it that way, but that's how it was, and it was good.  And comfortable.  Then we decided to really shake things up and we went from three to five in 15 months.  We've had some growing pains, for sure.  Most, ok all, due to the tumultuous relationship between a certain two of our littles.  I am trying to find ways to be more intentional at fostering attachment between the two of them, but it's tough.  When I do occasionally get the 7 year old on board, the 3 year old inevitably ruins it by, well, being 3.  I'll keep at it.  Love and grace.  Love and grace.  I'm trying to pour it out on the both of them, in the hopes that those two things will soak into their little hearts and maybe eventually start to show up in their own interactions with each other. 

 

All three boys are just growing so fast (why do they have to do that?!)  There are things I need to write about.  Things I want to remember.  Like this evening.  It was a long day with hubby at drill and there was lots of squabbling and disobedience and not nearly enough patience on my part.  And both big boys were suddenly out of their baths and having a "Naked Native American Dance Party" (C proclaimed it that) in the living room.  I was laughing and averting my eyes and trying to keep them from getting all up in my face!  And pumpkin baby was beeboppin' right along with those two and they were all three just so happy in that moment.  That I want to remember!