My Assistant

Sami doesn't need much help from me anymore when changing Haddie's diapers. I didn't realize this was a Kodak moment until Sami was snapping Haddie's onesie.

Now I just have to train her on the messy diapers!

Laid Back

Haddie in bed. She owns this place.

6-Month Check-up

Turns out Haddie is a shorty like me and Stella. I don't remember what percentile she's in for height, but the doc said she's petite like Stella.

This morning at breakfast we were clapping our hands singing the paddy cake song, and Haddie started clapping her hands with us!

2-year Check Up

Stella has moved up from the fifth percentile for her height! Now she's in the tenth percentile!

Both Stella and Haddie had their well child check-ups today, but only Haddie had to get shots. Sami was my assistant. I'm very lucky to have her!

Centerpiece

Haddie has been the centerpiece at our table lately, no longer minding her own business in her swing while we eat. She prefers to be where the chaos is and she feeds off it.

Sami the Fish

Sami is 5 1/2, will be 6 in November. Here is what she's been up to:
• She is chock-full of drama, sass, heart and goofiness...and toots.
• She has a wardrobe crisis nearly every day (NOTHING TO WEAR-AH!)
• She started swim lessons mid-June and loved it so she's still going at it. She told me today that she loves it so much she wishes it lasted all day long.
I like it because it is teaching her to face her fears (deep end, diving board, lifeguard stand). This little lady is very cautious!
• She starts KINDERGARTEN in a month! I am so excited for her, I know she is going to love it. Plus, she has her cousins to guide her and chum with at recess.

Stella turned Two!

On Monday, July 9th, Stella turned TWO years old. We celebrated on Sunday, July 8th (our 7th anniversary) with a small (for my sanity) picnic in our backyard.

Here's what Stella's been up to:
• About a week before her birthday she started to finally say "two." Stubborn girl. She is getting some speech therapy to help encourage her to use more words, and it has been helping. Not a big deal, just a stubborn two year old who prefers to scream and grunt.
• We can't go out in public without someone commenting on her big brown eyes.
• She is very adventurous, has little fear/caution and marches to the beat of her own drum.
• She is an entertainer. Definitely fun to watch if you have a case of the grumpies that you need to kick.
• Still maintains the nickname "Griz" and/or "Bear."

Haddie: 6 Months Old

Haddie Elizabeth is 6 months old already. My last baby is growing up :(. What she's up to:
• Starting to sit up on her own
• Teething, however haven't seen the white of a tooth yet
• Laughing her little but off
• Ear piercing squeals (copying her sisters)
• Been rolling back to tummy for a couple months now. Rolled tummy to back once or twice during the past month.
• Hates her rice cereal, wants what what everyone else is having.
•. Wakes up at 3am (like clockwork) every night to eat. The first of the three to not consistently sleep through the night-most likely because she is still on the boob and now refuses bottles.
• She LOVES bath time. Splashes like a mad woman and squeals and screams in delight. Definitely NOT a fan of the cooler water in the pools and lakes, though.
• She gets bored easily when her big sisters aren't around to entertain her.

Parenting

The other day, I busted Stella in the recliner 'reading' my Love and Logic parenting book (upside down). I grabbed my phone to take a pic of her in action, but she saw what I was doing and struck this pose.

Babies = Love

There is not much that compares to the sweet smile of a baby. Haddie has been smiling and cooing for a while now and it just melts my heart.

Sami was the most perfect baby and because of that, she made Stella look bad as a baby. But Stella was still a great baby, she just cried - as most babies do. And Haddie cries a bit more.

The thing with Stella was that, while she was generally a happy baby, she went from calm to pissed in about three seconds. She knew what she wanted (but we may not have), and she knew how to express the urgency of it (even though it was usually not really an urgent matter). It really stressed us out for those moments that she was screaming.

Haddie is pretty much the same as Stella, but even more dramatic. The urgency of her scream is life or death. And, unlike her older sisters, she has not been a perfect sleeper since day one. She's just starting to sleep some good stretches at night. But I still love her. ;)

I am going somewhere with this.

I can't wrap my head around how many unloved babies there are in this world. I just want to scoop them all up and snuggle them and hold them and let them know that I just love them so much. It doesn't matter that I've never met them before. Babies = Love. It doesn't matter if they are miserable, unadorable babies. They are BABIES. The most innocent little creatures on Earth, and I love them all.

I think that this has been on my mind more lately due to the blood curdling screaming that Haddie does. It stresses me out and I sometimes have to just put her in her bassinet, shut the bedroom door and let her scream it out. While I do that, I still can't help but try to make her feel my love through thought and prayer.

I know that I'm not the only person that feels this way. Anyone out there want to start a baby loving business with me?!