Bath time fun

I remember a time when this little one hated taking baths... But now she loves them! Especially when there is bubbles involved. Somedays I let her sit just a little longer in the tub because I love watching this smile....

Pacific Science Center

Every weekend we have been making concentrated effort to get out of the house and go somewhere....besides Trader Joes, target, or Fred Meyer.  So, a few weekends ago we made the trip up to Seattle to The Pacific Science Center.  What a great day!  We all had fun....Here are some pictures.  Lily and I are absent from pictures because she was in the Ergo front pack and I was taking pics.

Bella loved the dinosaurs!



Petting a cockroach...yuck!!

1 Month Already

I can't believe Lily is one month old already!  I know I say this all the time...but time really flies by.  It just seems like last night when I was pregnant and we didn't know when she would arrive.  Here she is!  We adore everything about her....

At one month:

Likes:  Baby wearing in the Ergo,being swaddled,  kisses on the cheeks and neck, white noise (dryer, shower, and noise from the bouncer), hair tickling your face, nursing,baths, snuggling in bed/ co-sleeping, and your binky most of the time.

Dislikes: Car seat, being alone, loud noises, diaper/clothes changes, being naked

Milestones:  We think maybe a smile this last week but aren't sure, you smile all the time in your sleep.  Coos and Aahs this week.

You are an easy baby so far and  have a sweet disposition.  You sleep and eat well and only cry when you are wet, hungry, or over tired.  We love having you in our family.  Your big sisters adore you and love being with you and holding you.  We can take you any where as long as you are in the Ergo with mama....you hate the car seat!!!  We love you our little "Lily Goat!"

Adjusting

Lily is now three weeks old and I feel like the last few days I am trying to get into some sort of routine. Who am I kidding... Not much of a routine with a preteen, toddler, and newborn! But I am trying...
I am managing to get out of the house with all the girls at 7:30 to drop Maddie off at school... In my pajamas. And back again to pick her up at 2:45.. This is a great accomplishment in my eyes. Adjusting is exactly what the past few weeks have been. We are all so full of love for this sweet girl that has joined our family! Bella has good days and other days that she misses it just being her as the baby! I cried the first few times she begged me to put baby Lily down and hold her... It was heart and gut wrenching. That has been my biggest challenge so far... Balancing giving Bella what she needs and still tending to Lily's needs as well.
I have to say after three weeks I can comfortably read to Bella one side of my lap and nurse Lily at the same time.
I am so thankful for how much Maddie has been my little helper. She is loving the new baby and also helping play with Bella, cooking, and doing lots if extra chores to help me. She has been really amazing!
Even though we have been making lots of adjustments I can't stop thinking about how lucky we are and how' much I live to love these three amazing girls. I am grateful and blissfully happy... I have the most loving husband and I can't imagine this journey with anyone but him!

A Tale of Two Poops

Our hope was to have Bella potty trained before Lily arrived...however she had other plans.  She is extremely strong willed and just wasn't ready.  We did not want to push her, especially with the big changes that a new baby were about to bring.  That being said, I have had two outings with the little girls and both have ended in a mess of poop!  Now, if you hate poop talk, save yourself the time (mom) and stop reading this blog post now.  I have to write about it because I know someday I will forget these stories and I love preserving them.

First outing to Target ...complete disaster.  Bella runs out of Target into the mall with me chasing behind her pushing the shopping cart with Lily's carseat in it.  I look like a crazy woman calling and running after my two year old who is laughing hysterically and running so fast ahead of me.  She runs out the doors and I try to follow but the cart wheels lock on me.  I am yelling at her to please stop....begging.  Luckily Maddie runs after her and gets her.  We get our shopping done and take Bella into the play area.  Lily needs to eat so I am nursing her, Bella makes another break for it out of the play area.  UGH!  I can barely run I am still sore from giving birth at this point.  When we decide to leave I get a FULL BLOWN temper tantrum from Bella.  Thank goodness Maddie was there....  Here I go carrying my screaming and kicking two year old out to the car with Maddie carrying Target bags and Lily's carseat.  By the time we got home both girls diapers have leaked and there is a mess of poop everywhere.  It was bad folks, clothes had to be changed bad....

Second outing (I am alone)...down to district office to add Lily to my insurance.

We were on our way to Lily's two week check up...I am nervous to take them both anywhere.  I have prepped Bella for two days....  Get there and I leave my diaper bag in the car because it's just too much to carry both girls and I figure I will be in and out...  By the time we get inside Lily is really crying which surprises me.  I wonder if she is hungry.  I try to fill out my paperwork quickly and they offer to let me nurse the baby in an empty room because she is crying so much.  I go into the room start nursing and check her diaper.  Poop explosion everywhere!!  So I have to drag both girls back out to the car to get the diaper bag and back in again.  I go to change Lily and realize that everything in the diaper bag is wet because Bella's juice has spilled.  I panic!  So I whip off the wet onesie and just keep Lily in her fleece jammies which aren't too wet.  I finally get everyone back out to the car and go to put Bella back in her carseat and she yells out, "I have poop mama!"  UGH!  More poop!  Get her changed in the back of suburban and finally off to doctor appointment.  That was the longest trip ever.  Thank goodness they were both angels at the doctor appointment. 

First Moments

Some of our first moments welcoming our third born into the world....

I have had a few people ask me if it is different the third time around and I have to say it is no less magical than the first time.  It truly isn't.  She is beautiful and amazing and we love how she has wiggled into our little family and all our hearts!

 First time with daddy holding Lily

 First bath.....she didn't like it

With Uncle Sherman

Lily Elisabeth Stadnik

Lily Elisabeth joined our family on March 17th at 10:41am. She weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces and was 20 inches long.
We had another natural birth and amazing experience when she was born. My labor was only about 4 hours long and the nurse and midwife were amazing. Stacy, my sister Elisabeth, and my best friend Heidi were able to be there when she made her grand debut!
She is so sweet and we are all so in love with her! Her sisters cannot get enough cuddles and kisses with her. She fits in perfectly and we feel like our family is complete. For so long we dreamt of what our life would be like when she arrived and now we can't imagine it without her!
Lots more pictures to come!