Sleepy boy...

This little dude still sleeps quite a bit. Sometimes I'm really jealous.

Uh-oh...

Sometimes this happens on accident... and it makes me laugh. 

 

Smile...

Try as you might, but you can't help but smile when you see this. He melts my heart.

 

Just pictures...

One of my complaints about social media is that there are so many outlets... blogs, facebook, twitter, instagram, etc, etc. I have gotten sucked in to many (not all) and use each for for different reasons. The problem for me is that I can't keep straight where I post certain pictures and stories. I've always wanted my blog to be my main collection, but some of the others have proved easier lately. I've been lazy with posting and am needing another blog updating spree. For now, here's a few pictures off my phone that you may have missed...


Claire playing dress-up with Isaac.

We are in the process of picking paint colors... Miller Paint has free popcorn and hot chocolate (which are both helpful for keeping an almost-4-year-old occupied). 

 

Claire loves dragging our garbage cans back up to our house. I'm sure the novelty will wear off (probably about the time is starts pouring down rain), but for now we are enjoying the help.

 

Claire loves motorcycles and was thrilled when a very nice, but somewhat gruff-looking older man let her sit on his bike outside one of our favorite coffee shops.

 

At-home s'mores... a wonderful afternoon snack!

 

Precious memories are made every time we visit great-grandparents. 

 

Minnie Mouse, a black kitty, and Batman!

 

Documenting the day his baby acne was totally cleared up!

 

Isaac loved meeting Aunti Kels!

 

So many sleepy smiles in the first few weeks. 

 

One random morning Grace woke up an hour early. Rather than dinking around the house, we packed up and headed in to Portland where she and I had a yummy breakfast at The Original Pancake House before school

 

On the mornings that Merrick takes Grace to school, the rest of us opt for lazy mornings snuggling in our bed.

 

Before daylight savings ended our drive to school included some pretty fantastic sunrises. 

 

Grace's first field trip of the year was to a mini concert put on on the Oregon Symphony. She and Sydney sat together on the bus and one of the teachers snapped this pictures. I love these girls, their friendship and the fun times they share at school. 

 

Bedtime with three can be a challenge, but sometimes it looks more like this.

 

He's getting so big already, that I love finding these pictures where he still looks so tiny.

 

This year Grace's teacher loves having parents volunteering in the classroom. It is so fun to spend time with her at school and she how hard she is working.

 

Little Brother {six weeks old}...

Six weeks has flown by... and I'm actually posting this a week late. So really I should be saying, "Seven weeks has flown by." We are finding our rhythm and gradually figuring out this new normal. Adding a new person to our family hasn't been difficult, but managing our time efficiently has been challenging for me (Hannah).

*A picture a day for his first 50 days. 

Growing: He hasn't been officially measured since his 4-week appointment, but he seems to be steadily gaining weight and filling out.

Eating: Isaac eats 7 times a day, though I'm pretty sure he is working on dropping a feeding... I'm just not sure which one. Right now a "normal day" would mean eating at 6 am, 9, 12, 2:30, 5, 7:30 and 10. Lately he has been stretching the time between his lunch time meal and early afternoon meal which then alters our evenings just a bit.

Sleeping: He is still a great sleeper. His day time sleeping hasn't really regulated - he still sleeps for a little stretch between every feeding rather than having longer "nap" times. We've been keeping him awake more throughout the day and he is responding well, though when he is tired he gets really cranky. (Don't we all?). At night he will sleep soundly between his last feeding and the next morning (6 1/2-8 hours). Occasionally he will stir just a bit in his bassinet and require his binky to ease back in to sleep. He has been using a sound machine app on my phone and that is a miracle worker for him. We never used a sound machine with the girls, but it is like baby crack for Isaac. I turn it on and watch his eyes roll back and his body relax as he drifts off into dreamland.

Moving: A little early for any real movement, but he does roll from his tummy to his back. He really hates tummy time and does whatever he can to get off his belly.

Other stuff...

• All-in-all Isaac is doing really well. I'd say he is a pretty mellow baby. He has a fussy period in the evenings, but we are working through it. I think it is a combination of wanting to eat more often at night, being overstimulated by his crazy sisters, and being just about ready for bed. He seems to be harder to calm down than either of the girls were at this age, but honestly, it is hard for me to really remember. 
• His baby acne is almost completely gone. It showed up two days before he turned three weeks old, and hung around for just about three weeks. 
• His first awake smile was 5 weeks and 1 day. He's been smiling in his sleep since birth, but it is fun to see the social smiles. He also smiles with his eyes - hard to explain - but there is a very sweet reaction to familiar faces within his expressions.
• He turns toward familiar voices - mommy, daddy, and his big sisters. 
• He loves lights and pictures hanging on the wall. 
• He is still a sucker - binky or fingers.
• He is still in 0-3 month size clothes, but not for long. He is a little long for them, but the next size still seems a little big. (And on that note, thanks to everyone for the hand-me-downs... this kid is set!)

Siblings...

My three kids - all at the same age. When Little Brother was first born I thought he looked exactly like Grace. I still think he mostly looks like her - at least the same nose and mouth, but I'm thinking his eyes look more like Claire's did at this age. What do you think?

 

His forte...

It turns out that sleeping is Isaac's forte. Last night he ate at 10 pm, was asleep by 10:30, and then didn't wake up to eat again until 5:30 am! Here's hoping this new trend sticks.

September storms...

What do you do when the biggest storm of the year rolls through town? Serious puddle jumping, of course. 

His busy life...

I do believe that Little Brother has been fully indoctrinated into our normal life. This week he has experienced 2 soccer games, church, a gathering with friends, doctors offices, daddy's office, Grace's school, BSF, visits with friends, and just a little time at home to rest. No wonder this is what he does all day long.

Little brother {one week old}...

Isaac is one week old today. I think this has been one of the busiest, craziest, most stressful weeks ever... and very little of that has to do with having a new baby. We came home from the hospital last Friday and hit the ground running - Saturday was soccer, Sunday was church and a school BBQ, Monday was back to school for Grace (aka early mornings, rushing out the door, lots of time in the car, etc), Tuesday was grocery shopping, paper signing and a quick visit with his doctor. We've had very few visitors, but that is mostly because we aren't home to see people. This boy has been super. So far he is flexible and easy going. He can sleep just about anywhere - car seat, swing, the floor. He eats when I feed him. He isn't too fussy (unless he has a bubble). 

This transition to three has been a little harder than I anticipated. I think it is mostly due to the fact that there are no such things as "lay around the house in your pj's days." We are up and out of the house every single morning of the week. (Monday through Friday for school, Saturday for soccer at 9 am and Sunday for church at 8:30 am). Don't get me wrong, we are doing okay, we are just a lot more tired than I think any of us expected to be. 

There isn't much to record at this age, but a few things I'd like to keep track of...

• Isaac is on a pretty regular schedule. He eats every three hours during the day with one bonus feeding right before bed. For the last three nights he has given me a six hour stretch between meals (yeah!). 
• He is still really sleepy all of the time, but is starting to wake up more and stay awake after eating. 
• He loves snuggling, but he doesn't "need" to be held. We can put him down in the swing, bassinet  or on a blanket and he will happily lay where we leave him.
• He really likes to suck -  he is a good eater, he likes his fingers and he loves his binky. 
• After losing a little weight in the hospital (totally normal), we went in to his doctor for a few weight checks. Thankfully he is right on track and seems to be gaining just about an ounce each day. He isn't back up to his birth weight, but the doctor is happy with his steady growth. He was 7 pounds, 7 ounces today. 

I know it goes without saying, but we are loving this little guy so much (Claire maybe TOO much). But really, can you blame us? 

Quick pics...

I've been taking pictures of Isaac, but uploading, writing, and posting seems to be a lot of effort. So, today I'll leave you with just a few pics we've captured with our phones... Enjoy.

Our little man...

Isaac James Brownlee
September 19, 2013 at 1:06 am
7 pounds, 15 ounces
19 1/2 inches long

It's a...

BOY! On September 19, at 1:06 am this sweet guy joined our family. Arriving unexpectedly three weeks early he weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. We are still deciding on a name, but are loving every minute with this sweet boy. He is calm, quiet and very alert. He loves to eat and sleep and is a really big fan of his sisters. He is the perfect addition to or family, and we can't wait to take him home later today.

An update...

My current stats on 9/10
Gestational age: 36 weeks, 1 day
Weight: 38 pounds
BP: 110/64
Fetal heart rate: 140's to 150's
Measuring: 39+ weeks
Fetal movement: Yep... still the same. 
Cervix: 1 cm dilated

Oh, what to write. I'm still gaining weight. Baby is still big. I'm still having contractions - though some that actually have been "hurting" now. Everything is totally normal and usual. I refuse to complain about the aches and pains of this part of pregnancy because, well, that just annoys me. I will now see my midwife once a week until baby comes. That, with the other doctors I have to see (endocrinologist, OBGYN, eye doctor, etc) means that in the next 25 days until my due date, I have 9 appointments scheduled. Good thing Claire is such a trooper. 

Maybe it is the heat, maybe just general exhaustion, but I'm not really in the mood to write. I have another appointment next week so I'm sure there will be another update soon. 

First of first...

Today was Grace's first day of first grade! She was nothing but smiles from the moment she woke up.

We all got out of the car for drop-off. We didn't need to, but it did allow us to snap a few pictures of our happy girl, visit with friends we haven't seen all summer, and spend a few extra minutes with Grace before she happily took off in to the building.

 

 

I don't know how long this whole sign making business will last (it will get trickier once Claire is in school too), but it is fun to have comparison pictures year after year. Sometimes it seems that not much has changed in the course of a year, but then you look at these pictures and can see how much bigger she is and older she looks.  

 

We are excited for this school year... and we can already tell it is going to be great. Grace was a little apprehensive about being a full-day student, but today when I picked her up she bounded in to the car (still all smiles) and said, "That felt just like half day!" I'm going to miss her (seven hours is a long time for her to be gone every day), but I know without a doubt that she is in the right place and is going to have a fantastic year. 

An update...

My current stats on 8/23
Gestational age: 33 weeks, 5 days
Weight: 34 pounds
BP: 112/72
Fetal heart rate: forgot to ask
Measuring: 37+ weeks
Fetal movement: Baby has very consistent awake and asleep times (usually awake between 7-11 pm and 4-7 am). There is less spins and rolls, but more powerful kicks and nudges. 

I had a quick visit with my midwife today and everything looks good. Baby is measuring 4 weeks big. In fact, she measured me three times to make sure she was getting an accurate number. If this trend continues - meaning if baby is still looking that big at my next appointment - we will likely have another ultrasound to check baby's size. It won't really change much - I still cannot be induced (since I've had a c-section) but we don't want to go in to a delivery not knowing what to expect. 

They also rechecked my blood today and my anemia is getting better. I still need to be taking additional iron, but the levels are going up and my platelets are normal. I've been having middle of the night bloody noses (awesome!) which can be a sign of some blood disorder in pregnancy so they wanted to check to be cautious  Anyway, all looks good, so there is nothing to worry about. 

Other than than, all looks normal. 

As for the other stuff... 

• Still don't know the gender.
• Still don't have a name picked. We are toying with Goliath.
• Still feeling okay. I have my aches/paints/general complaints, but I'm trying to keep them to myself.
• I am feeling very "nesty" lately. I don't have much desire to be away from home. There is a huge list of things to do, but we are also in the middle of the back-to-school frenzy and trying to do as much and see as many people as we can before school starts in 12 days (yikes!). I'm sure the things will get done, and if not, oh well. 
• I'm not very patient, and sort of wish people would keep their opinions to themselves. 

Along those lines (and yes, this is a true story). We were at the park the other day and I was sitting and watching the girls playing in the fountain. The mom sitting near me said "When is your baby due?" I believe my response was "Beginning of October." (I wasn't in the mood to small-talk with strangers. She instantly responded, "Twins! That's fun." I sort of wanted to punch her. And then, as if that wasn't bad enough, Merrick walked over and we had a little discussion about something I wanted the girls to stop doing that he didn't think was a big deal. It wasn't a fight, or argument or anything other than just a private conversation about our children. When he walked away the same lady said, "Sometimes I am SO glad that I am a single mom."  I should have been quicker and responded something about what a great husband and daddy he is, and how I am SO glad to NOT be a single mom. Instead I just picked up my stuff and walked away. It wasn't long after that experience that I saw this quote on facebook...

"Sometimes you just have to close your eyes, count to ten, take a deep breath, remind yourself that you wouldn't look good in prison stripes and just smile at that [person] and walk away." 

Some people just need to never speak out loud. Ever. 

Here's a picture that Grace snapped this afternoon. If you think I look like a giant beast who is carrying twins, do yourself a favor and keep your opinion to yourself. =)

Snapshots of our summer...

**UPDATED: hopefully the pictures all show up this time around. =)

It seems as though my camera has gotten a little more use this summer than it did in the spring... though I'm pretty sure half of these pictures were taken with my phone and many came from Shannon and other friends we've been spending time with. That being said, however, I'm certainly glad we have these shots to remind us of what we've been up to and the memories we are making. 

This summer has been a bit wild. It seems like our calendar booked up in June and we haven't really slowed down. I've blogged about some of our activities, but it seemed easier to throw the rest in to one big post...

We started off the month of June with a fun run benefiting Grace's school. All four of us ran the 5k Soles to Souls race that was held down on the Springwater Trail (near Oaks Park). It was a really fun morning with lots of friends around... and a lot of fun to be running again!

This picture just makes me laugh. My friend Annie and I took the girls to Playdate PDX for the morning and while we were there, we cleaned out our purses. I have no pictures of Claire and Serena playing, but I did think this scene was funny enough to remember.

Grace's last day of school - fun to compare to her first day of school pictures. She looks so much older to me.

Fun summer hair cut! All Grace's idea, and she was adamant that it happen before Kindergarten graduation. We are so thankful for Katie and the great job she does on the girls hair.

Grace's graduation day was a little hectic, but we had a good time celebrating her success and the end of her first year of school. 

 

National doughnut day! We wouldn't miss a free Krispy Kreme!

 

Falling asleep and waking up in the sunlight. 

One Sunday in June we split up - Merrick and Grace headed in to Portland for a date while Claire and I opted to share chips and salsa at Chevy's. We don't do it much, but we really enjoy the time we get one-on-one with the girls.

 

The last-day-of-school BBQ. The kindergartners at Grace's school finish early, but we thought it would be fun to head back out for the end of the year party. I really should have checked the weather first... it was horribly cold and rainy and we didn't last very long.

A fun lunch date at New Seasons with just my Big Girl. 

Our semi-annual trip to the dentist. 

Her last sleep before turning 6 years old!

Another perfect well-child check up with our pediatrician. I believe she was a little less than 43 pounds (25th %) and a little more than 46 inches (65th %).

Some early summer rains sort of ruined our plans one afternoon. Poor Claire sat by the front door saying, "Mama, where is our not rain?"

A new scooter, and a fun ride around the park by the library.

One can never be too careful when eating lunch... especially Claire.

Growing belly.

One of the many reasons we love our church - Sunday night BBQs on the property. Food, friends, worship & communion, water fights, sunsets, giant slip-n-slide.

Grace and Sophia signed up to take an art class at Michaels. It was a Japanese theme so they made puzzles with Koi fish on them and painted Japanese cherry blossom pictures.

A fun night out for Claire and Merrick (while Grace and I were at Benihana). 

The fourth of July on the river with friends - couldn't be better!

 

 

The Burch family stayed with us for a weekend... the girls loved having Maren and Owen around to play with. 

 

I already posted about soccer camp, but found a few other pictures on my phone. I loved that she was very insistent on getting ready all by herself. 

 

We've spent lots of time in the water - sprinklers, splash pads, pools, rivers and lakes. My kids love it 

all!

 

We discovered a new-to-us fountain in Beaverton and had a lot of fun playing with friends all morning!

 

 

I think this picture just sums up summer as a kid!

 

Berry picking this year involved mostly eating berries off the bushes rather than filling our buckets. I think I was tired, and my heart wasn't really in it, AND I got stung by a bee. It wasn't my best morning ever. We did come home with enough to share with daddy though. 

 

 

 

I love this picture that Shannon took of Claire entertaining Lincoln while the big girls were picking Dahlias. 

 

And I love that there is a beautiful little u-pick dahlia farm not too far from our house. 

Twilight track meets are must-do every July. It is so much fun to watch the kids smile through each of their events. We only made it to one meet this year. Claire won first place in the 50 meter dash and second place in the 100 meter dash. She was quite the competitor. 

 

 

 

Grace really wanted to have a movie-themed birthday party this year. It was scheduled back in June, but we had a few weeks of a nasty stomach bug spread through our family. After canceling and rescheduling two times, we were finally able to find a night to have her classmates over for treats and a movie. It was a crazy evening, but I think it was exactly what she wanted. 

 

The day after Grace's party, we loaded up the car and headed to Burch Lake to celebrate Owen's birthday. We swam, ate, and visited with friends, stayed up way too late, enjoyed too many s'mores (after eating cupcakes), watched fireworks, and all slept like rocks in our cozy tent. 

 

Friday night picnic and romp in the fountain. 

Because Tilikum and our county fair fell on the same week I wasn't sure we would make it to the fair this year. It also happened to be the same weekend as the airshow (which seemed like really poor planning). Anyway, Saturday was a very quiet day around our house - just picking up the house, catching up on laundry, and resting after a week of camp. We decided half way through the afternoon to pack up and head out to the fair for a little while. I'm glad we did. We haven't missed a year since we moved to Hillsboro. Plus, we showed up right in time to watch the Patriot Jets performing across the street at the airshow. 

 

Our month of July ended with Bethany and Seth arriving from Wyoming. They made really good time on their drive, so we left the fair, picked up a giant plate of sushi, and headed home to greet them. The girls spent the rest of the afternoon and evening playing with cousins while we got caught up with the Tippins. When bed time rolled around, we got a little creative with our sleeping arrangements - as you must do with a house full of people. Claire happily crawled in to a little nest we had made for her in our closet... and slept there for the next five nights!