Happy Friday!

I love this picture.  Emma loves infants and is always very curious and protective at this age.  I have pictures like this with Emma and each of the kids.  She is such a sweet dog and has been a great family pet to have.

My days have been somewhat overwhelming with Kenzie on a 2 hour eating schedule during the day and waking 3 times to eat during the night.  Not to mention tending to the every second needs of my preschooler and toddler.  No one ever said parenting was easy, but I didn't know it could be so exhausting!  I think I would be okay if I didn't have a million and a half other things to think about with transitioning to the next step of our lives in the next couple months.  So, for now I have learned that parenting is the most rewarding exhaustion I will ever experience in my life.  And I am trying to remember that..."Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles, it takes away today's peace."

Back to Emma...

When we left for Omaha last weekend we stopped to get some gas at the gas station a few blocks from our house.  Sue and I were talking (about Keiko actually) when I suddenly realized we had left without Emma.  I actually forgot my sweet Emma at home.  Thank goodness I remembered while we were still close and Ryan just ran back to the house and grabbed her.  Poor thing.  I think maybe this is reaffirming that we really do not need any more children.  Apparently I have enough on my plate with what I have already!  :)

So Precious

 What is it about sleeping baby photos that is so irresistible?  I like to watch all the kids sleep, they look so peaceful.  I feel like they are totally content with the world and are in their happy place.

With that said, I also find sleeping Kenzie photos so irresistible because she isn't fussing or crying.  A sleeping baby Kenzie photo also means she is actually sleeping somewhere other than attached to me in the Moby wrap.

Thankfully, Kenzie has been a much happier baby lately.  Don't get me wrong, she still has her moments.  She smiles a TON and her coos and little giggles are irresistible.  She has been much more content and even traveling short distances in the car better.  I love watching her grow and change every day and love her to pieces!

Kenzie's first road trip.

 We took our first overnight road trip with Kenzie to Aunty Arin's house.  Omaha is the shortest distance we have to go to see family.  We will soon be a lot farther away from Arin's home (which makes me sad) so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity.  Sue drove me and the kids in her vehicle and Ryan followed in the pick-up.  We took two vehicles so that Ryan could return to Sioux Falls on Sunday and the rest of us could come home on Monday.  Traveling with an infant is a whole different game!  After about an hour in the car, Kenzie decided she wanted to eat and started to scream.  We pulled over when we could so that I could nurse her.  Sounds simple right?  Not so much.  She had so much air in her tummy from the crying that she puked shortly after eating.  Poor thing.  After the stop (which was 30 minutes at minimum) she fell asleep and slept the rest of the way.

The weather was snowy and cold, so we did a lot of hanging out.  I actually went to the gym with Arin which felt amazing!  Ryan decided to stay Sunday night due to bad weather and we all headed back home Monday morning in terrible driving conditions.  We made it home safely Monday early afternoon and although it was very refreshing to get out, it was great to be home.

Going to Grandma's

Grandma Sue came and picked up Landon and Kadence and brought them to the farm for a couple days.  I am always a little selfishly reluctant to have my kids away from me, but I realized that they needed it!  They were not sad at all to be leaving us, which reconfirmed they needed to get outside the walls of our home for a little bit!  They were so very excited to go to the farm with Grandma and see Papa, too.  It also gave Ryan and I some time alone with Kenzie.  It was nice to only have to worry about Kenzie for a couple days and the three of us were able to do some things we wouldn't have done with the whole family.  Kenzie actually slept really well and I did some serious relaxing knowing that my two older children were well taken care of and having a blast!

With all that said, I was anxious to have them back in my arms on Saturday, I had missed them so much!    Although, I am not sure they missed me!

6 Weeks and Smiley!

It is hard to believe my little peanut is already over 6 weeks old.  I hate how fast the time passes!  Kenzie has been doing well.  She is eating well and has been a much happier baby since we discovered her love for the Moby wrap.  She still wakes up 3-4 times at night to eat but has been going back to sleep better than  before.  Overall, she is much less fussy than she had been.  She started smiling over a week ago and loves to be talked to.  Her first intentional smile was for her Daddy but has since then been smiling at all of us.  She is just so precious.

I still think she looks quite a bit like Kadence when she was little, but I also see many of Landon's expressions.  It will be fun to see how her looks keep changing.  Her eyes are still pretty blue and I just can't believe that I may have 2 blue-eyed children.

Love her.

My little reader.

Books Books Books!  I found Kadence snuggled up in Landon's room with his pillows and blankets reading one day and had to snap a picture.  We definitely have an abundance of books at our house.  It is the one "toy" that I never feel guilty buying for the kids.  We read several books throughout the day and always read books with the kids before nap and bed time.  They both really enjoy reading with us on a daily basis.  However, it is Kadence who loves reading.  She loves being read to and reading to her stuffed animals, brother, baby sister, and us.  She is always toting at least 5 books around the house from room to room.  I find it quite amazing that she has many of the books memorized word for word and is able to recite them to us.  I hope her love for reading is something that will follow her throughout her life.  I loved to read at a young age and still enjoy it!  

Helping Dad.

We have all been feeling a bit cooped up the past few weeks.  It is much harder to get out with a newborn especially in rain, snow, and cold temperatures.  Landon is easily affected the most by not getting out to expend all of his little boy energy.  He has been going out with Ryan to shovel frequently and just playing outside with Daddy.  Even if it is really cold outside, he still goes out to play.  Needless to say he comes back much happier!  I love this picture of his rosy red cheeks!

I am still not sure whether he likes playing outside or the hot cocoa he indulges in when he comes in the house with his rosy cheeks!