Though busy, I've never been happier. Really. But I am busy, and since I really, really want to take note of this sweet time in our lives, I've given up the grand plans to write loads of thoughtful reflections on motherhood and womanhood and familyhood, and my magical, sweet perfect baby and all the rest. For now, you get iPhone pictures and quick musings on life with three kids. And a whole lot of my sweet Hattie Anne. (If you subscribe to my Instagram feed, you may have seen many of these. If you don't and you want to, I'm @jnnfranne.)
Life lately, according to my iPhone (this is going to be long and rambly)...
We had a baby. She is perfect. And though I just told you how crazy three kids is, this is hands down my favorite newborn momming.
This sweet little girl has revived a whole lot of the mommy in me that I hadn't even realized I'd lost. My heart sings every day—even when I'm tired and she's screaming. For two years I wondered if I would ever understand how to make something meaningful out of losing Andrew and Benjamin. I was suddenly more aware than ever of how precious my children were, and how sacred my role as their mommy, but I struggled to really embrace everything that was left as I worried that everything that was left might be all that I got. And though amazing, I just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more. That something more was a sweet, somewhat stubborn (just try to give her a binky), very snuggly, curious and fairly easygoing (except when she is hungry) Harriett Anne.
I am smitten. We all are—especially (and somewhat surprisingly, given how jealous she was leading up to Hattie's birth) her big sister.
I am saving the 500 pictures of Nora kissing and snuggling Hattie for a separate post because there is just so much to say about this big little girl's love for her little sister.
In those first few weeks there was a lot of this (still is—feeling a bit hypocritical, given how strongly I've always felt about letting babies sleep on their own),
and this (I lived in that rocking chair for the first three weeks of Hattie's life).
There was also very little showering, no make-up, and one four-year-old who was suddenly left to her own devices. Nora has been a champ, though—SO much better than I anticipated—and we've only had two full on tantrums that I can recall (which is amazing, given her naturally dramatic nature).
The new big kid things with which my little girl fills her days while I feed a baby:
Selfies
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| Those three freckles are my very favorite |
(She likes to make cakes and play restaurant, and never lets you see her creations until they're complete.)
Horses
(Luckily, we live across the street from the rodeo grounds. When she's not watching them from our back window, she's playing with her toy horses.)
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| We were on our way to Porter's soccer game when Nora begged me to pull over so she could take a picture of these horses |
Coloring and Drawing
I would also like to do an entire post about her latest creations (lost f pictures of the two of us together, the ABCs written over and over again, and stars, which she just learned how to draw)
Bike Riding
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| She is much more independent now—just a few weeks ago, she never would have ridden downhill without my help |
She also took a sudden interest in the baby dolls that have sat untouched for more than a year, but that has faded now that Hattie is awake a bit more and she can sing and tickle and "pet" (her words, not mine) a real baby instead.
All the while, the big brother has been at school after starting second grade the day before Hattie was born.
When he gets home, he wants to ride his bike and play in the tree house with his friends. But in the evening, just as his littlest sister is gearing up for the witching hour, this amazing little man switches into brother mode, and his high-pitched sing-song baby talk is Hattie's favorite sound. She smiles more for him than anyone else. Consequently, any Hattie-Porter time is son interrupted by one very competitive four-year-old who is quick to remind her older brother that she is Hattie's best friend.
In prepping Nora for the baby, I told her all about how important it is to be a big sister because her little sister will look up to her, etc. Nora now regularly tells us all that "When she grows up, Hattie is going to want to be just like me—not Porter."
What else? The first bath...
The first intentional smile (in response to a rattle—she loves the sound of rattles)
Meeting her great-grandparents
And her equally great grandma (who came to help for a week and then stayed longer when I cried and begged—thank you! I credit this lady, my mom, with the low tantrum count for the big sister. It took Hattie a few weeks to learn to eat properly—including four days of non-stop breastfeeding followed by a week of supplemental tube feeding and pumping—and Nora and I would have killed each other had we been left to our own devices).
That's right. All that rambling about how magical this baby gig is this time around...that is in spite of three weeks of non-stop crying and almost no sleep. I loved even though I was initially convinced that she was the most unhappy baby ever.
It may have helped that I knew the crying was not her fault. She was born tongue tied, and her tongue is not shaped correctly for eating. She had to retrain her muscles to eat opposite her instincts. Suffice it to say, it was a long three weeks, and I was grateful for a husband, sister and mom who all regularly reminded me that it would not last forever.
It didn't, and from three weeks on, she has been a very content little baby.
Though she does more often than not sport a look of concern, confusion or curiosity.
Speaking of milestones...
Nora also started school this fall: preschool (more on that to come later—she's suddenly growing up all too fast).
And she started gymnastics (She's the one waving. They keep the parents far way from the action, and this was the best I could do juggling a hungry baby and a camera phone). She loves both.
AND she lost her first tooth. It's been a big six weeks for this four-and-a-half year old.
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| Another Nora selfie |
The husband and I also marked a pretty big milestone: ten years of wedded bliss. I sure do love this guy. Not only does he still make me laugh, but he's amazing with kids and patient with crying babies. He also cleans the bathrooms and does the laundry (part of a pre-wedding agreement that I am pretty sure he wishes he'd never made). And he's fun. All our best adventures are all his doing.
More from the rest of the gang...
As with spring, fall means soccer in the Burt home, and this is Porter's best season yet. Sadly, I've missed most of his games (babies don't love Cedar's robust wind).
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| After he scored his first hat trick |
A little bit of this
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| By "this," I mean the planning of projects. I have yet to FINISH anything I've started (curtains for the nursery, a photo wall and a reading nook for the kids—they need a quiet getaway now that they share a room. And by "they," I mean Porter; his little sister doesn't stop talking, even in her sleep. |
And not nearly enough of this
...especially when you consider our surroundings.
I thought we'd be outside every day with a summer baby; I think I forgot how much of a baby's time is spent eating and sleeping. I do have high hopes for fall, though.
We did get out of the house to brave Hattie's first roadtrip though (she did great!), to introduce her to the rest of my family.
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| Meet my big little brother and my newest nephew—the world's happiest, and second cutest, baby. |
While in the big city, we headed to the zoo and hunted down horses our little cowgirl could actually ride.
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| She's talked about it ever since. |
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| She dresses herself these days. |
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| The recycle bin provided THREE hours of entertainment. |
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| No better way to tease your little sister than to play with her stuff. |
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| We've got our first thumb sucker on our hands. She has refused the binky from day one, and I have officially given up the fight. |
