Organized Chaos...: Tidbits

I am so far behind on blogging - skipped all of February! It is my own fault (and I have been in quite a fog). We are surviving and even enjoying this phase of life, but I do try to rest when I can get at least 2 or the glorious all 3 down for a nap. Therefore, the blog has fallen behind. I will go on record saying that 5 weeks in, I think going from 2 kids to 3 has been the easiest transition yet. I don't want to jinx things, and there is a moment every single day where I could stop what I am doing and cry with at least one of my children! But overall, I am not saying it is easy but it has been smooth and God has been merciful! Or maybe we are just so used to chaos anyway, what is one more baby?

I want to write in streams of consciousness because that is about all I can muster...

Quite a task getting a picture of all 3 - Aunt Evan got us these cute shirts! She spoils us!

- Turner loves to run around and say "I am Buzz Lightyear the ASTRONAUT. To infinity and BEWOND! Also, he has been refusing to go on the potty because he insists he is "just a boy." But the other night he announced he was going, and then he did. So I straight up drove him to Toys R Us and bought him a toy. Judge me - I heart bribery. Just ask my old second graders! But, he has done it a couple of times since. I am not pushing it yet, but I am encouraging him when I can for now! (With mostly Skittles - can't afford that many toys)

The little monkey hanging out in Sister's changing table/pack n' play. I am shocked it has not cracked in half yet!

- John Burke is at such a fun age. Especially since I am not pregnant anymore and can wrestle his big, tough self!! I turned around today in the car and he was trying to eat his big toe. He is almost talking in sentences now. His teachers at school have announced to me that they have known he has been able to talk, but he was holding out because of the baby coming. They might be right?! Whatever - I am just glad he is saying words. He loves to say no, even when he means yes. He says please about 2 octaves higher than anything else, he says "donkey" for thank you. He says "I wan' those!" and Momma (Mawma) but DADDY! is his favorite.

He is also a little Houdini. Twice on our ride to school the other day (10 minutes), he climbed out of his five-point harness. I am not sure exactly what he does, but he pulls one arm out at a time, twists and jumps upward out of his seat. It looks like a ghost when I look back and see a fully buckled carseat, that little turkey. He first did it this weekend in Andalusia. I was feeding the baby, looked back and he and Turner were wrestling and Turner emerged with a bloody lip and Burke Burke was proud. We have tried everything - spankings, tightening the carseat - hopefully we have tied him down enough now.

Collins meeting her namesake, Nanny

- Collins could eat all day long!! You wouldn't know it, because she was 7 pounds, 15 ounces this week, but the girl loves to eat! Too bad my mom is accusing me of starving her because I make her wait 3 hours between feeds. Well, sometimes I cave at 2 and a half! If I put her down around 10, she wakes up once at night so we are doing all right on sleep. Last night she gave me a 5 hour stretch, and I would like that to continue!

Bedhead anyone? He begs to hold her first thing when he wakes up

- John Burke is obsessed with being a big brother! He loves her more than life, and tries to hold her as often as possible. He will point at her, roll his sleeves up and try to grab her from me like he is another adult. He loves when I put her in his lap, and he brings her paci to her at the first noise she makes. I mean he barrels into a room! And if he doesn't have a paci, he will put his fingers in her mouth. Which totally grosses me out, but he is convinced that it soothes her. I am trying to pray the germs away!

Ouch - not a great picture of either, but he got to "hold" her

- Turner has been pretty indifferent overall about having another sibling. He likes to know where Baby Sister is at all times, and this weekend he even started baby talking to her. But, he cares WAY more about toys and watching movies. He cracks me up because he says "I would like..." a lot. I wonder where he learned to be so formal?! And bless his heart, he can't remember a time when he didn't share attention with someone. Maybe it is character building?!

My little valentines on Valentine's Day

- John Burke is notorious for dancing in the car. Our friend Kina went with us to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's the other day (because Lord knows I couldn't do it alone!!). On the way there, I was showing her how he bumps his head, or throws his arm in the air to the beat - but I told her his favorites were the heavier rap songs. She said she knew that, because she had been letting him listen to those songs on her phone since he was just months old. Duh - of course he likes heavy rap. He thinks he looks like Kina, if you know what I mean!

- We went to Andalusia this weekend on a whirlwind trip. We visited Cookies with Characters, a fundraiser for Meredith's Miracles - which is a foundation his aunt started in memory of her granddaughter who died of cancer at the age of 5. We went last year, and it was Heath's mom's favorite event of the year. She was on the Board for Meredith's Miracles, and she had fun watching the grandkids enjoy it last year. Basically all sorts of characters - any Disney princess you could imagine, Buzz and Woody from Toy Story, Curious George, Mickey Mouse and company, etc. all come and put on a show for a thousand plus people in Andalusia. Afterwards, they stand around the arena and you can stand in line for their pictures or autographs. The boys thought it was very cool and they dedicated this year to Melissa's memory. Very sweet, and it stung that our sweet MeMe wasn't there enjoying it with us. I had to keep remembering that I had no idea how much more fun she was having in Heaven with Jesus!!

- On the way to Cookies with Characters, we ran by Heath's Granny's house because I had left my camera there. Her sweet neighbor - a little old lady named Miss Mabel who makes the best bread you have ever put in your mouth - wandered over to the car while I was breastfeeding. (Which, you can imagine, I am not very graceful with in the first place.) Anyway, I lowered the window and said hello to her. Before I knew it, this tiny old woman had opened my car door, lifted my nursing cover and yanked Collins from my chest - literally unlatched her. Wow. She must have seen the look on my face because she even said "This can't be comfortable for you, but I just have to hold that baby right now." I think I laughed out loud, but I thought "What the heck?" - she wasn't stopping. Needless to say, Collins was very loved this weekend!