It's Been a Minute

 It wasn't an intentional choice to let this space go, it was simply a by-product of a busy life. Since my last post we have had 2 more babies, left Washington, D.C. for our hometown of South Bend, IN, started new jobs, and bought our first home. I'm resurrecting it now with no plans to advertise our posts or even to plan to post regularly but instead to use it as a scrapbook for these 4 kids. We have loved looking through old posts from before they were born already and I want to have a space in the immortal internet for memories of them. 

Entrusting this mundane blog with everyday photos of the monotony of motherhood, as always, to Mary, Our Life, Our Sweetness, Our Hope. 

First Hair Cut

A big day for our G. Shannon was cutting my hair as we took advantage of the day off school and we decided, why not?!?!? Her hair had never been cut and I didn't want bangs or a short bob, just to get rid of the wispy and have it all one length. Lucky to live with someone generous enough to make it happen.

She was excited about it before, freaked during, and couldn't stop talking about it after. I'd call it a success!

What on earth are we going to do when Shannon no longer lives downstairs?

Edith Margaret: Four Months

You guys! It's high time I blogged this. The reality though is that I am hugely procrastinating writing a paper so this is my excuse. These pictures are true to size but I am needed to dig back through my phone to remember exactly as she was at this time. Sorry E, being a second child and all that.

Edith is at the point that everything goes directly into her mouth (exhibit A).

She is a big fan of the bumbo so she can sit up and look around. Edith has been this way since day she was born, constantly wanting to face out so she could see what was happening.

At the very end of this month, Edie reached the milestone of rolling over but barely. On the last day of the month she rolled from back to front a few times but not the other way. She hates tummy time though, so she really needs to learn to roll from front to back.

Overall, this was a fun month, she took her first few roadtrips, swam in the pool for the first time, and got to experience sand and snow. She's really found a love for her hands and has become so generous with her smiles.

We love you Sweet E, you are so sweet natured, curious, and learning to speak your own needs, it's a blast to watch you grow.

If the theme of Gemma's monthly updates were that she hated the bow and would pull it out, the theme for Edith is that Gemma is always dying to be in the shot!

Snow Day

How unlike me to blog something THE DAY IT HAPPENS, and yet, here we are. 

Let's chalk it up to procrastination of the two papers that are due tomorrow. 

We took full advantage of today's snow day and staying in pajamas until well past noon, took the chance to do loads of laundry and vacuum the house, ate way too much sugar a la Shannon, and played in the snow! 

We took Edith out in the snow for the first time exclusively for these pictures while Gemma played and played and never wanted to come in. E is bundled and bundled, wearing a snowsuit that is twice her size while G was way underdressed in her double layered pants that aren't waterproof. If we still lived in Boston, I am sure she would have a better snow-wear wardrobe...

 Tim thought I was cruel to make her pose in the snow, but come on... look at this next picture!

I took Edith back inside to get her warmed up and a bottle and when we checked back out the window 20 minutes we saw that Tim and Gemma had created their own Olaf. She then determined that this snowman was Dada and they needed to make a Gemma snowman as well so we currently have two frozen figures in our front yard that she cannot stop talking about. Gemma also had her first hot chocolate today.

 This little row home in the city has been so good to us. We don't know how much longer we will be able to rent this house, maybe a few months, maybe a few years, but we definitely do not plan to be here for the long haul. It's strange to think that this place, which has held so many family memories for us, and growth of our family, will not be a place that G and E remember. I want to be better about using my real camera to capture more moments like these, the candids beyond the iPhone photo stream to look back on the sidewalk chalk that has been snowed over, at Tim's woodworking projects on the front porch, at the tiny two lane street, and the half fence of a yard well played in. I want the girls to have these visuals to accompany the stories we will share for the rest of their lives.

Christmas 2017

 Oh Christmas, this year was just so much fun. Edie is loving the ripping of paper and Gemma really is starting to understand it all. We had the countdown, the books, and "candles for Jesus" all helping us prepare for the season and Gemma got really into all of it. We were with my family this year in Florida post Disney (recap to come), we feel so privileged to celebrate holidays with family who are geographically scattered.

Thank goodness for matching 'jamas that Christmas Eve brings each year for these classic photoshoots. But my sister-in-law Christine is the real MVP for her photo skills even without her tripod!

This year for Christmas, we all received little sewing kits which came with out own arts and crafts project. 

I feel so lucky to have a big family, but more than that to have a family who all actually like each other. It seems like an obvious statement but now that I am a parent, I want more than anything for G and E to be lifelong friends and I realize that it is not a given. As such, I am so grateful that my siblings are all people I long to spend time with, that I feel joy and peace when around them, and who love my children unconditionally. Love you 7kids+ !

Holidays are such rushed and busy times which always make the week with family seem way too short. Regardless of length, it was a memory maker trip this year for sure, Merry Christmas!