Life with 3

Look who's gettin' her bloggin' groove back!?!

This guy was fist-pumping before fist-pumping was a thing.

If you're a parent, then you know that having a baby changes everything. After all, that's the catch-phrase used everywhere, right? If you're not a parent, lemme just tell you....it's true! Oh, how it changes everything. For the better, of course, but that doesn't mean it's not an adjustment.

Well, when you add 2 more babes to the mix, it's bound to turn anything and everything upside down.
You just thought you had this whole "being a parent" thing down pat.
HA!.......That's life laughing at your naiveté. Yes, I done learnt myself a new word.

When it was just Hudson, we were able to go out and about pretty much as we normally would. We'd go to the store all the time, Target, out to eat, and he was a breeze to take along, especially as he got older. 

I've said this so many times in the last 8.5 months....I really took for granted how easy I had it with just one child!

Don't get me wrong, the twins bring so much joy into our home and into our lives and I would not trade them for a thing in the world. But if you think you're gonna go out for a nice meal at Red Robin(yum!...you know you did it in your head) or Longhorn with all 3 kids in-tow....wrong!! 

These were taken before Raegan had a complete meltdown and ended up having to be held the entire time. Grayson did awesome and was just happy to be there. Hudson felt the need to bounce from his chair to the extra chair beside him, then to Grayson, then back to his chair....and this occurred a minimum of 15 times. HA! It was an eat and run kinda lunch that day. But hey, it's life. Kids are kids. 

This is why most of our meals out are usually had at upscale places like the mall food court, where whines and cries, if they occur, are drowned out by the music, talking, and those people yelling at you to try a sample.(I'm lookin' at you, man at Chinese food place!)

It's not as easy as just running to the store anymore. With Hudson, he rides in the cart. Simple. With Hudson and ONE additional baby, he walks and baby rides in cart. Easy enough. Not ideal, but doable. 

So, what in the world do I do with the 3rd child??!! I could always wear one in a carrier but that opens up more obstacles....the 3 year old gone rogue in the store, while the baby in the carrier is screaming from being slung all over the place, all the while drool is pouring down my chest since, hello?!, they are in prime teething time! 

I get hives just thinking about taking all 3 kids somewhere by myself. 

This is why errands are run on the weekends, most of the time. Sometimes Joseph will run by the store during the week and pick up a few things we need, or, if momma really needs a few moments of peace, I'll go when he gets home or after the babes are in bed. Do you have any idea how peaceful Publix is at 8:30pm on a Thursday? It's like a mini vacay! Just gimme a fruity drink and a beach chair and I might just set myself up a little spot in aisle 7 with a copy of US Weekly.

I know that once the twins are older, it will be easier to take them places. They'll be happier sitting in high chairs and eating real food at restaurants. They can sit in the "cool" race car shopping carts at Publix while Hudson walks beside me, or better yet, is at school.

And don't even get me started on the amount of time it takes us to get everybody ready and out the door, or the fact that we have to take everything we own with us.......

But they're precious and make it all worth it!

Skillet S'mores Dip

I did the Advocare 24 Day Challenge back in March and lost almost 10 lbs. It was a great way to jumpstart weight-loss and a healthier lifestyle.

Through the challenge, I got my butt in gear to start eating healthier and making better choices. 

I found so many great recipes during the challenge and still make them, along with new ones I've developed, today. I make sure I load up on protein, fruits, and veggies, and limit my carb/high fat/fried foods intake. I don't avoid carbs altogether because they are important and they are good for you. I do try to avoid the "bad" carbs most of the time (white bread, pasta, white potatoes, etc) and have complex carbs in place of them. (whole wheat pasta/breads, quinoa, brown rice) I also kicked the Diet Coke habit and only drink water (along with my cup of coffee in the morning). 

Since starting the challenge in the beginning of March, I've lost 16 pounds. I've got about 10 more to go until I'm where I want to be. 

I say all of that to show you this.....

Hey, a girl's gotta have her chocolate fix every now and then, am I right????

S'mores Dip, y'all!!!!! How have I never thought of such a stupendous creation??!!! 

Thanks to Pinterest, I ran across this bad boy. 

I had to make it. I mean, it was fate that brought me to the recipe.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Oh, sweet gooey, chocolatey deliciousness!

I'll share some of my favorite "healthy" recipes soon, but I figured I'd jump to the good stuff and pass this one along first. ;-)

If you don't feel like clicking the above link, here's how it's done:
- line a cast-iron skillet with a thin layer of chocolate chips
- top with big marshmallows that you've cut in half
- bake at 450 for 7-8 minutes
- try not to stick your face in the skillet because it looks and smells so good.
Nobody wants 3rd degree burns via s'mores dip.
- Devour with graham crackers

Now, go have yourself a campout....in your living room.....and enjoy every single calorie of this dip. It's totally worth it.

3 Year Checkup

This morning, Joseph took Hudson to his 3 year checkup. I can't believe I just typed that. 

3 YEAR checkup?!?! How has time flown by so fast that my baby boy is just 2 years away from starting kindergarten? I can't even....

The difference a year makes. 2 years old vs. 3 years. What a little man he's becoming!

As usual, Hudson is a lanky fellow. He weighed in at 33.5 lbs (50th percentile) and is 39" tall (75th percentile). He has always been long and lean and that tiny waist of his is swallowed up by pants a lot of the time. He's always had a long torso so his shirts get too short on him quickly, especially after several rounds in the washer and dryer. He's wearing 4T shirts and PJs most of the time now because of this. 

Here's a little more info about Hudson at 3 years old....

- He's a great sleeper and, thankfully, is still a good napper. We'll hang onto those naps as looonggg as possible. :) We bathe him and put him to bed at about 8 every night, but it's not uncommon for him to lay in bed awake until 9 or later. He's usually yelling for me by 7:15 or earlier most mornings. HA!

- Hudson loves breakfast. His favorite breakfast would probably be pancakes, turkey sausage, and a banana or strawberries. The boy still LOVES fruit. Only a few different veggies will be touched. We're picky in that area. He loves carrots raw, but hates them cooked. I know, it confuses me too.

- He's still not a huge meat eater and will not touch red meat. (maybe that's not a terrible thing) He does like turkey and chicken pretty well and loves a hot dog. Lunchables and fruit snacks (specifically Spongebob, Super Mario, and Minions) are favorites around here. 

- We started really trying to potty-train 1-2 weeks ago and he's completely potty-trained during the day (except for nap) as far as #1 goes. He's still apprehensive about doing #2 in the potty. He did it once and it went great. It didn't freak him out or anything, so I'm not sure what's keeping him from doing it regularly. If any of you parents out there have any tips on getting him to go #2 in the potty, I welcome them!!! :) Now we've got to work on nap time and bedtime (that'll be a while, though). We haven't converted his crib into a toddler bed yet because, honestly, he's perfectly happy in his crib. He's never asked for a big boy bed and has never tried to climb out (how, I don't know!), so I hate to do it and totally throw him off. But, I know to be fully potty-trained, he'll have to be able to get out of his bed to pee at night if he needs to. I'll also take any tips on that. HAHA!

- He is an awesome big brother and loves the twins so much. He helps out so much but we also try not to put too many expectations on him. He is only 3, after all, and should still be a kid, not a 3rd adult in the house. The babies love him too and he's such a great entertainer. He keeps them laughing.

- He is so smart and amazes us with how quickly he catches onto things. He loves to sing, say his ABCs, and count. I know he'll do so well in school. He still stays home with me right now, but we plan on starting him in preschool in August, if not earlier.

It's crazy how quickly time passes once you become a parent. It goes faster than you ever thought possible. The first year of the twins' lives is almost 3/4 of the way over and I feel like we just brought them home. I turn 30 (gulp!!) in 3 weeks and I know that can't be possible because I'm only 21...right???!!! Time is playing tricks on me, that's all. 

Do y'all remember when 30 was SO old??? That's what I used to think. 30 can't be old if I'm turning it, can it? I don't feel old! Except when I see these kids that were toddlers when I went to church with them graduating high school or getting MARRIED now!!! 

That kinda makes me feel just a smidgen old.

But, then again...I'm just 21. ;-)

8 Months Old

 Happy 8 Months to a couple of the sweetest babies I know!

Could you not just eat her up??

 Such a ladykiller. 

 These two just have the sweetest spirits and personalities and it's been such a joy watching them grow over these last 8 months. The first few months weren't the easiest....figuring out how to balance life with 2 newborns and a toddler, they had what I believe was a touch of colic for a little while, and the normal stuff that comes along with newborn babies.

 But they have become such happy, easy babies. They love people, especially their big brother, and get down right giddy when they see someone.

 Every month, picture time gets a little more.....challenging.

 See what I mean...

 Of course the girl cooperates with a photo-op. 

 I remember a time when keeping big brother still was quite the challenge. 

 But these days I can usually count on at least one of them being still. HA!

Here's some things the twins are up to at 8 months:

- wearing size 3 diapers

- wearing 6-9 mo clothes

- no idea about their weights/heights, we go to the doctor at 9 months

- they drink about 6.5 ounces 5 times a day

- sleep from about 8:30-7:30 or 8

- take 2 naps/day. One in the morning and a long one in the afternoon. Sometimes there's a short evening catnap thrown in there
- Grayson has his 2 bottom teeth and Raegan has one

- they're eating lunch and dinner every day now. They also love Gerber Puffs

- we've let them try a few nibbles of our food...strawberries, french fries, apples....the jury's still out on it all
- they still don't want a thing to do with a paci, and they're perfectly happy that way. (so am I!)

- sitting up on their own

- Raegan has started crawling but it's still just a little bit at this point. She's not doing laps around the house just yet. Grayson is close to figuring it out too.

- so much babbling going on! "dada" is said a lot and "mama" has been tossed around too

- they love spending time in the walker and jumperoo. Grayson is a lot like his brother was, and sometimes I'm afraid he'll jump a hole in the floor.

- they love going out for walks or being strolled around anywhere in the stroller now that they can sit in the actual seats.

- they're getting much easier to take places and we're not hermits anymore, afraid of taking them out in public places. ;-)

Oh, these tiny babies....part of me wants to go back to the newborn stage so bad, but then there's the other part of me that's like "are you crazy?" HAHA!!

As Mother's Day approaches this weekend, I'm reminded of how blessed I am to be the momma of these 3 precious gifts. I never imagined my life could be so wonderful. It's not always easy, and it's almost always messy, but boy, is it sweet!??!!!?

Happy Mother's Day to ALL the mothers out there, especially MY momma!!

Can You Tell Me How to Get to Hudson Street?

Speaking of which.....have y'all heard that a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire is coming out? Hmmm.....I have mixed feelings about this, but I'm hopeful!

Anyway, how are you guys??

We're just trying to keep up with a couple active 8 month olds(tomorrow) and a 3 year old. 

4 more months until the twins are ONE!!?? Is that right? It can't be.

A certain boy in the house recently turned 3 and we had an awesome party at a new indoor trampoline park in Gadsden where our parents live. 

Hudson has developed an obsession with Cookie Monster and Elmo and some other Sesame Street characters (although he doesn't really care for the actual show) so we had a Sesame Street bash and it turned out so cute.

He actual birthday fell on Easter this year so we just kept it low-key with a little celebration at home.

He's still a little unsure about how to work his Jeep but he loves it.

Brother and sister enjoyed watching him drive.

The next Saturday, we had his party.

Invitation and party pack

 He had so much fun, but I think the adults had the most fun.
Yes, that's my Papa jumping in the red shirt.

 Joseph had a blast, as did Hudson's cousins.

 So glad Catherine and Forrest could come celebrate with us!!

We don't get many family pictures these days because it's quite a feat, so we take what we can get. ;-)

We had such a great time celebrating our BIG boy :( and are so grateful to everyone who helped make it the wonderful party that it was!

Grayson and Raegan will be 8 months old tomorrow so I'll get up a post about what they're up to these days. :)

Hope your week is treating you well!