Auntie Erin and uncle Pete meet Shelby

We were sooo lucky to be able to take a trip out to meet auntie Erin and uncle pete. Shelby was an angel baby on the flight and basically slept the entire time. I even got a couple hours of sleep. 

Shelby is wearing her adorable deer outfit from auntie Erin. 

This is what my sleep deprived, no shower, no makeup face looks like.  Ack!

That crazy lady at dinner.

People kept telling me I was a brave mama, but actually I am a crazy mama!!

While rich was out of town this week our school had a fundraiser dine and donate. The kids begged me to go. I tried to get out of it but the girls had been such big helpers. 

No spills, only tears from Mac as we were leaving or if we didn't give him Parmesan cheese fast enough, and two cute girls who were only slightly mischievous. 

Cara didn't even sneak a sugar packet to eat! 

We also had a great server who was quick and totally understood the crazy look in my eye that meant "I mean business. Don't mess with me". Haha. 

We survived but I will not be doing that again without 10 more adults or something like that.

Birth announcements.

For those of you who read the blog you get a first look at the birth announcements that will be coming your way next week!  

I ordered them today and it takes a week to get them. So better late than never? Right??

Aren't we cute? 

One month old

This little baby bird got her nickname this month because when she is awake and not nursing, her little mouth is open like a little bird. It is so cute. 

This month she has slept a couple times for 4 hours straight. But that is not the norm. She has slept with me most nights because I am able to sleep longer and with 4 kids sleep is important!! We usually sleep on the couch because I can't let rich and I both be sleep deprived. 

She started smiling a couple days ago and it is adorable. She is in cloth diapers and with spit ups and blow outs she wears 3 outfits a day. She hasn't lost her hair yet, but I bet that is just a matter or time. 

She still is nursing, won't take a bottle or a pacifier (I really haven't tried hard though for either), and spends most of her day being carried in a wrap or sling. Baby wearing at its finest. 

The newborn baby announcements should be ready soon and we will get them mailed out. We are excited for that. 

Glasses and such

Look at these cute girls on their way back to the second week of school. Both wanted to wear fake glasses and they looked so cute I let them. 

I am just excited that I get to pick them up at 245 instead of 115! An extra hour and a half will be fabulous. 

The babyguybox

The baby guy is a guru of all things baby gear related. I recently won a contest of his and had some cool products sent my way. So then I decided to try his babyguybox (breastfeeding edition) and it came with some neat gifts and coupons and samples. 

When it came to the door step I was super excited. Cara wanted to open it soooo bad so I let her. But I told her everything in it was really for Shelby. 

Cara made sure Shelby saw everything. We have an infinity nursing scarf, storage bags, milk charms, boobie bars, a book, breast milk jewelry coupons, a wet bag, bamboobies, nipple butter, a nursing necklace and much more. 

Pool babe

This little pool babe looks so stylish (we didn't actually get in the pool) in her flamingo swim suit and matching sunglasses. Thanks grandma for the cute   Presents! 

First day of school

I think I just posted that my Cara was going into kindergarten???  Was that really a year ago? Today the girls started school again and they couldn't be more excited. 

Shelby slept and Mac was eating breakfast when it was time to go so I was able to leave them both at home with rich while I took the girls and took a thousand pictures. 

Library with 4 kids

We went to the library today. I had to return books and DVDs that were due. And guess what? I couldn't find one of the DVDs. Of course. Of course this made it take 3 hours to get out of the house. That and a nursing baby with blow out diapers and a face so cute to look at that I had to hang out with her for awhile. 

So now I will search the house top to bottom while I start counting the money we will soon owe the library for a dumb 5$ movie (an old old Alvin and the chipmunks) 

But I did feel like super mom as we made a successful trip to the library without fussing or tantrums. Wahoo. 

Visiting

As grandma great is on hospice I have started talking a lot to my girls about death and dying. Up until this past week grandma great has been able to get out of bed at least once or twice a day. To use the bathroom or eat dinner at the table or sometimes just to read the newspaper at the table. Unfortunately she hasn't been out of bed this week and that is a little tough. 

However, my sweet kids are trying to spend some time with her when I go over there. Mac loves to play peek a boo with her and cars with grandpa great. Shelby usually sleeps when we are over there, and Cara and ryann like to dress up and do fashion shows for her. They also love to get cookies from grandpa great. 

Milk sharing

Weighty issues. 😂 Shelby has been gaining an ounce a day thankfully so no more weight checks until 2 months. In the meantime though Shelby for a package from her cousin Everly. 100+ounces of milk! (Actually from Madeline... But Everly said it was okay to share her milk)

Thankfully I haven't had to use it, because every time we try we can't get Shelby to take a bottle. Thankfully auntie Devyn just sent a bunch of bottles for us to try. It really takes a village, right?

In the meantime we are waiting to hear back on a rental house in Napa. We were approved for one but there is a pool and we really don't want a pool since there isn't a fence. So we will hold out a couple more days and cross our fingers that we are approved for the one we really want b

Planking

I showed rich a video of a man who set a world record for planking for 5 hours straight. Rich wasn't impressed. He said, "isn't this planking?" And fortunately for me I got a picture. 

If that is planking than Shelby is pretty good at it too. 

Work in progress

Still working on shelby's birth story... So in the meantime here are some cute pictures. 

2 weeks

Shelby had her 2 week weight check yesterday. She is my first baby to not make it back to birth weight by 2 weeks. So sad. 

I got a good lecture from the pediatrician about what I "need" to do. She doesn't know I am a CNM so it was full of formula feeding talks. Instead I am drinking more mothers milk tea, more water, oatmeal, placenta pills, skin to skin, nursing around the clock, fennel essential oil, and parking myself on the couch and not doing so many things. 

Yesterday I supplemented with some pumped milk I had and after she slept for almost 3 1/2 hours. I also ordered some milk makers cookies to help with supply, so we will see how those help too. 

I would love prayers for us while we work hard to gain some weight by our weight check on Wednesday. 

Daddy did my hair

I put a cute bow on Shelby, hand her to rich, and I turn around and see her bow like this. 

Good thing they are both cute, right!?

Labor Day shenanigans

Here are a couple pictures from the day I went into labor while we were at Costco. 

The kids were pretending to sleep in the aisles and Mac thought it was hilarious. 

Also after we got home we found a bird in the house and rich had to catch it and get it out. It was quite hilarious to watch him chase it around with a broom and a towel. 

Soon

Soon I will post my birth story. But it is much quicker to post a picture or two in order to keep the masses from rioting 😂

So far Shelby has had pretty good nights.   I am up every 2 hours or so? But she is always falling right back to sleep so that is nice. 2 nights have been rough, but the rest have been okay. She still sleeps with me on the couch and I am okay with that for now.