reason #7628 why I love my husband

Sophie wanted her pony to have a wedding dress (so it could marry the bunny, of course). Her brilliant daddy grabbed a paper towel, a roll of scotch tape, and - voila! - a wedding dress to fulfill any My Little Pony's wildest dreams.

These girls are pretty darn lucky.

love, love,...

...LOVE this girl.

Looking at these pictures totally snapped me out of my funk tonight. (Said funk was the result of cake layers breaking when I tried to turn them onto the cooling rack. Why, oh why must things stick to the bottom of the pan?...But...who really cares when I know I have these dimples to kiss?)

lucy meets the Church

Our little Lu made her first appearance at church 2 Sundays ago. I love the way that our Orthodox Church welcomes new babies (and their mothers!) - with such joy and wisdom and the offering of many treasures to be discovered over the course of a lifetime.

Apparently it was an exhausting event for this little bundle. Here's how she spent the rest of the service:

We can't wait for her baptism this Saturday!

(Thank you to our friend Sergiy for taking such lovely pictures.)

the big girls

How do 3-year-old twins spend their days?

Watching the symphony at Centennial Park, complete with lightning bugs and The Flight of the Bumblebee (and little green frisbees)

Admiring their new baby sister

Soaking every surface in the bathroom, and their dresses, too

Playing "Tiddlywinks" and other invented games with Daddy

Riding bikes

They also yell loudly while running up and down the hall, cover their bedroom floor with toys and books, whine, and cry, but I don't need pictures of that, thankyouverymuch.

one month

Our Lucy Rose is 1 month old today.

She is sweet and smiley and oh-so-cuddly.

She is loud and isn't afraid to let her voice be heard.

She loves to be held and detests her swing.

She already adores her big sisters and receives approximately 200 kisses from them each day.

She is depriving me of sleep...but filling our home with even more love.

I can't wait for the months ahead!

1 day old:

1 week old:

2 weeks old:

3 weeks old:

4 weeks old:

(By the way...you would think with all of these pictures of Lucy in her bouncy seat that she loves it. Ha! That is all I have to say about that.)

the power of a clean toilet

(I was going to post a picture of my clean toilet. But then I thought you might prefer seeing my adorable daughter instead. You're welcome.)

Today I cleaned the bathroom.

Exciting, no?

Actually, it was incredibly exciting. It was the first time it had been cleaned since Lucy was born. It was the first time I had really, truly cleaned anything since Lucy was born. I felt so...accomplished. And clean!

So far I've walked past the bathroom door and leaned in for a peek 5 times. Never mind the huge pile of laundry waiting to be folded at the foot of my bed. Never mind the cluttered state of the living room, the dirty kitchen floor, the 7 emails I can't seem to respond to, or the burp diapers strewn throughout each room of the house. Man, my toilet is clean.

At least for today.

the postpartum fog

It's amazing how quickly and thoroughly I forgot what the newborn stage was like.

In my defense, our previous newborns spent the first 4 weeks of their lives in the NICU. They were practically a month old when we finally had them home. But they were also not even "full-term" at that point, so it was sort of like having newborns for 2 months. And still I forgot.

The completely out-of-control hormones. The havoc wreaked upon the body. The early struggles with breastfeeding. The sleep deprivation. (Yes, friends, it absolutely IS easier waking up every 2-3 hours instead of every hour like I did with our big girls...but it's still waking up every 2-3 hours!) That feeling that sneaks upon me every now and then of, "Oh my goodness, what do I DO with this tiny one?"

The bliss. Milky cheeks and lips nuzzling into my neck. A warm bundle gathered up and pressed close. The funny smiles while she sleeps and the way she just melts into me. Falling in love with her daddy even more as I watch him care for her. Delighting in the way her big sisters watch her, touch her, sing to her.

We are making our way through the postpartum fog. So grateful for the healthy and safe arrival of our newest blessing, Lucy Rose. For her 10 fingers and 10 toes, round cheeks and double chin (this girl can eat!). I am trying to be kind to myself and to my children as we settle in a bit more each day.

We are grateful for the love, support, and prayers that you, our family and friends, have offered to and for us. Please continue to remember all FIVE of us as we work out this new version of day-to-day life.

Isn't she a little doll? (She looks just like her sisters did!)

* * * *

Some of Lucy's first visitors:

The grandparents (we missed you, Grandpa, and can't wait to see you next month!):

Great-Grandparents:

Lucy's godmother:

Uncle Bryson and Aunt Erica: