And we now own a mini van

We have friends who have had multiple kids and both parents had sedans. So we figured that would work for us well. One thing we did not consider though, was both our height and our kids' height. So combine the fact that our seats need to be all the way back, Tripp has long legs, and my car is just not a big car, we had some serious space issues. So we decided to go on the car hunt. We were both first thinking SUV, but then practicality took over and the mini van won out. I found a great deal on a used Honda Odyssey on line and we went one day to check it out. I loved it, we took it to our mechanic to check it out and after he said it looked great, we decided to go for it. And after owning it for about 48 hours, I couldn't love it more. We drove around today with three adults and two kids and could not have been more comfortable (except for all the crying by a small baby)!

6 Week Old Lily

Little Lilypie (as I sometimes call her) is now a little over six weeks old. Time really does fly! While it is definitely easier in that we know what to expect with her and that it won't always be like this, that sometimes makes it harder cause I expect her to act older than she really is (like sleep through the night). She has had some rough days of late, well rough in that she just really likes to cry. The biggest help during those "witching hours" is the sling. I am not much of a baby wearing person, but I am not sure where we would be without it. It is great to be able to have two hands free and Lily likes to be secure and tight. In fact, she really likes it so much that she is usually swaddled up and then tight in the sling. But hey, whatever makes her happy makes me happy! I think we are getting over the 6 week hump of increased fussiness. I remember 8 weeks being a huge turning point for Tripp, so I am hoping that his little sister follows in those footsteps. Speaking of big brother, Tripp is a great big brother. He is loves his sister a lot, offers to rock her when she crying, brings her pacifier when she needs it, and even cleans spit up off her face when I do not notice it (which is often)! I am so thankful he does not seem to be phased by her loud and sometimes excessive crying. I know that this transition has been big for him, and sometimes he can get quite emotional, whiny, and just needing attention (which I totally understand!), but through it all, he sure has been sweet to his sister.

We had to get an ultrasound for her hips since she was breech for so long. Apparently in breech babies, hip problems can develop. During the ultrasound, they discovered loose ligaments and both her hips came out of joint just under the pressure of the doctor doing the ultrasound on them. They can tighten naturally on their own, so we will pray for that. She gets another ultrasound in 4 weeks to check on the progress, and we will talk with the doctor at her 2 month check up to see what needs to happen!

It is definitely a challenge to have two kids- this past week Tripp had the stomach flu again and so we were taking turns cleaning up throw up and calming a crying baby. The best was one night when Tripp got sick twice so between the two of them, we were almost up all night! But God continues to sustain us and even give us the ability to laugh at it all in the midst of the craziness. I love these two little ones dearly and really wouldn't want it any other way (except to sleep more)!

Aunt WInsor came to town

We have been blessed by family visits since Lily has been born. Most recently it was Nelson's sister Winsor. She left her two precious boys at home and came to visit for a long weekend. It was such a help to have more meals made, have someone to watch Lily so we could run errands, go to church and to play with Tripp.

Thanks Winsor for coming, we are so glad you did!!

One Month Old

Lily turned a month old on Tuesday, it is hard to believe! Time is flying by. She is doing well, adjusting to life outside the womb. The hardest thing for me is definitely the lack of sleep, but I know it will not be forever. It is also hard to sometimes manage two kids, like when Tripp needs to be disciplined and Lily needs to be fed at the same time. I am learning how to handle situations like that. But we like being a family of four, now we just need a car that is big enough :)

Lily's stats (apparently she likes to eat):

Length: 23 1/8 inches (100th percentile)

Weight: 11 lbs 2.4 oucnes (90th percentile)

and I don't remember her head measurement but it was somewhere in the 70th percentile.

Way to go little girl! We are so glad you are here!

Nana came to town!

Nelson's mom gave us probably one of the best gifts parents of a newborn could ask for- her help. It was such an incredible gift. Tripp and Lily loved having her here, but I think Nelson and I loved it the most. Good thing Winsor will be here in just over 24 hours! We can't wait!!

Breakfast in Bethlehem

Nelson's mom has been here since Wednesday and it is such a wonderful blessing. I feel so rested, well fed and just all taken care of. We have been able to do some fun things and have had some great time just hanging out at home. Nelson and I had a date night last night where we enjoyed some great dessert at Craving's and Lily has been taking a bottle like a champ. So as a result, I have gotten to have some much needed time away from home. Tripp, Nana and I went this morning to Breakfast in Bethlehem, an event at Tripp's "school" (mom's day out) which included breakfast, animals from the nativity, crafts, a gift shop and a few other things. The three of us enjoyed a tasty breakfast and check out the animals. It was a great little outing and a fun morning for us.

O Christmas Tree!

In an effort to make sure our Christmas is as normal as possible this year, we decided we needed to get right on our Christmas decorations and tree. Last weekend, we got right on getting our Christmas stuff up and we headed out to a local lot to get our tree. Nelson and Tripp worked together to get it in the house and in the stand and then we all decorated it.

Nelson and Tripp also had gone earlier in the day to pick out a new ornament for Tripp for the year and also one for Lily. They came home with some sweet little ornaments to add to our collection. Now all we need is some presents to put under the tree!