Silas is One Month!

Wow. That went fast.

Seriously.

I thought it went fast with the other two-- this month just whirled by.

Here's our one month old boy:

Walk like an Egyptian

He's grown quite a bit!

And a few other fun things:

Nine People + Nine Hundred Square Feet = Chaotic Fun!

This last weekend we welcomed the Winter family for a visit. Don't know who they are? Let me introduce them:
First there is Ryan--

And my sister, Shannon--

Yes, I know-- she got the looks of the family.

They brought along their sweet kiddos.

Here's my oldest nephew, Evan--

Yep, he's a looker!

And my sweet niece Payton:

So, if you add up the number of people staying at our house, their 4 plus our 5 = 9. Nine people in our nine hundred square foot house. This might sound too chaotic or too full for some of you out there, but that's how my family rolls. We love to be together. We love when everyone gathers into one place and makes themselves comfortable. It is a great feeling having everyone under one roof.

Here are some pictures of our fun weekend:


Being lazy--

Cousin Time

Lazy mornings with lots of kisses

Watching the AFC Championship game

Making Cookies:

Decorating Cookies (aka licking frosting)

One of the rare moments he was NOT sucking on the frosting tubes

Pink train!

Played outside:

Enjoyed our cousin time:

And we also had Silas dedicated at church on Sunday:

 We are so thankful for a family that loves us and loves our kids, a family that is excited about meeting new members, a family that doesn't mind playing together in our little house, a family that loves us no matter what we have/dont have, a family that welcomes chaos in the name of family time, a family that is so enjoyable and so sweet.

Love you, Winter family!
Thank you for making our family a priority in your life.
We appreciate you.

I've Got a Big Job Ahead of Me.

As I sit here writing this blog, nursing Silas, explaining to Brinley she needs to clean up her hair ties off the floor and telling Titus not to wrestle with his sister while she cleans I realize-- I'm a mother of three.
There is no turning back now.
I am now in charge of raising three human beings to be God-honoring, faithful, joyful, honest adults. Now THAT is a calling!
And it seems as though time is slipping through my fingers as I look over and see a little girl in the corner. Not a small child, but a young girl. Brinley is now four years old. I see all the places I have missed the mark, all the ways I have failed her as a mother, all the things I missed or messed up and am evermore thankful for grace.

God's plan for her life happens both with me and despite me.

Praise God for that. 

Like I said, time is flying by. Our sweet baby Silas is already 3 weeks old! He is starting to "chunk up" like his brother and sister did at his age. The double chin has hit and the cheeks are growing.
He is a very snuggly baby who loves to be held and to nurse. He would do both all day if he could.

He also hit a FANTASTIC milestone last night-- he slept for 3.5 hours STRAIGHT. 
{ I wont mention that it was on my chest in my bed }
{{... I'll save the co-sleeping debate to other crunchy people (like Dr. Sears)}}

So please pray for me. Pray for my children. Pray for my patience, joy, peace, sanity, and most of all that I can show the love, grace, and truth that He showed for me.

It's counter-cultural, it's against my very nature, it's insane, it's scandalous, but it's how I want to live my life-- modeling His love for his people. All people, but especially my littles.

Two Weeks Old!

On Sunday Silas turned 2 weeks old.
I am on a mission to take a photo of him every week. I'm not sure how long it will last but if you nag encourage me enough, I might stick with it for a few months! So keep up the nagging encouraging!

.... and I guess he's had enough!

Silas' First Check-Up!

Silas has his first check-up on January 9th. I was interested to see how much the little man weighed.
At birth he was 8lbs 5oz and 20.5inches.
At 2 days he was 7lbs 9oz and20.5inches.
At this appt (11days) he was 8lbs 14oz and 21.25inches.
His head circumference at birth was 13.75inches, at 11 days it was 14.5inches!
He's growing, that's for sure!


Here's what we've been up to these past 11 days: