She has a voice

Alice has discovered she has a voice.  She has spent the last few days screaming.  I don't remember either of the other girls being this noisy.  I hope this fascination with shrieking passes quickly.

I lost Ella at the farm

Claire's preschool had a field trip today.  We all went to Black Island Farms.  This was our first time going to the farm.  Both girls were so excited.  We did a hayride and each girl picked out a pumpkin.  Then we were set free to roam.  They had so awesome slides built on hay bales.  Ella loved the biggest slide.  She couldn't climb up the cargo net in the back by herself.  I helped her up but she refused to slide down with me.  Apparently she is too cool.  She was yelling "BY MYSELF"  at me.  I sent her down, thinking she would just run back around and come up again, or go to Mark.  BIG mistake. I waited for Claire. She wanted to sit on my lap and slide down. At least she still likes me.

After we came down I asked Mark where Ella was.  He said she went to go down again.  I walked around she wasn't there.  I checked the top of the slide no Ella.  For the next 15-20 minutes.  I ran through the farm calling for her checking everywhere.  Crawling through the kid tunnels, inside the bounce house, ect.  I was in  a complete panic.  People probably thought I was crazy.  I can't explain how horrible of a feeling it was. I was praying no one had taken her, or that she hadn't wandered somewhere dangerous and gotten hurt.  Mark was also searching.  He finally spotted her standing on a hay bale. She hadn't been in that area when I searched.  I don't know how far she went or when she headed back.   I ran to that girl.  She was crying.  I started crying.  I couldn't let go of her.  I told her to never wander off again.  Never to leave my side.  Of course she said "uh huh".   It was such a relief to find her.  I was hoping this experience might slightly traumatize her, so she would never wander off again.

Don't worry she only tried to run away 2  more times after that.  I need a leash for that girl.   Ella you might be the death of me.

I've been taking a lot of videos

I've been taking a lot of videos with my phone lately.  Claire and Ella love watching videos of themselves.  They are constantly asking me to make a video of whatever they are doing.  Seems how I don't have pictures, here are the latest videos.




We awoke to snow the other morning.  Claire and Ella were so excited.  They had to go play in it.  I was given firm instructions to start making hot chocolate immediately!  They played in the snow for a couple hours.   It was an intense snowball fight.  I'm not sure there was a clear winner.




I took this video a few days ago.  She is now a pro at rolling over.  She thinks she is pretty hot stuff.  She has to roll.  Rolling is so awesome she tries to roll while nursing. Which hurts, the "girls"don't roll that way.   Alice hasn't figured out how to roll back to her back.   Which infuriates her.  She hates being stuck on her tummy.  It doesn't matter how many times I roll her onto her back, she immediately rolls to her belly.  Mark sat on the floor with her for a half hour just rolling her back so she could roll over again.  She was so happy. She would try to start rolling before he could get her all the way on her back.  She's a little crazy.

Peaches

4 months and some other stuff

Alice is 4 months old.  She is growing so fast.  

I can't believe it.  It feels like just yesterday that she was born.   She is showing more and more of her personality.  She loves to giggle.   She is working hard on her rolling skills.  She can get her body from her back to her belly, but her head doesn't seem to follow.  

She ate some rice cereal and she was happy about it.  

 Mark bought her some "halloween"  pjs.  He isn't fooling us.  We know they are boy jammies.  She isn't happy about it.  You would think after 3 girls he would just accept the pink.

Now for the other girls.  They are both loving dance class.  I was hesitant to sign them up for it.  Neither had expressed any interest in taking dance. I thought it might help Claire improve her coordination and fine motor skills.  When I talked to Claire about taking a dance class, Ella started yelling "me too!"  Both ask if they get to go to dance class everyday.

Speaking of Ella Jane.  She has a fiery disposition.  I love it about her, and it gets her in a lot of trouble.  Just tonight she attacked Claire.  Bit her twice for not letting her turn the water on in the bathroom sink.  I find it hard to know how to discipline her.   I don't want to break her spirit.   I wish Claire would stand up for herself and fight back a little.  If Ella understood how much biting, hitting and kicking hurts, she might not do it.  But I can't tell Claire to bite her sister.   Can I?

Part of a balanced breakfast.

  I can't believe it is September already.  Where did summer go? 

I am really excited for fall time.  I love everything about fall.  The cooler temps, sweaters and Preschool.

It makes me happy that Claire loves preschool.  She has been asking all summer when she will get to go back to school.  I hope she will always love school.  

It was fun to take her shopping for school.  We went on a mommy and Claire date to pick out school clothes.  We now shop in the girls clothes.  I just have to say I am not thrilled with the styles right now.    Most of them are way to grown up, and/or sexy for my 4 year old.  I wish she was still in the toddler section.  Maybe I am weird, but I want my little girl to stay little. 

While we were shopping for socks and undies for Claire, she noticed the bras.  She says "Come on mom.  I'll pick you out some Playtex."  Now I know why they show bra commercial on the kids channels.  Kids turn into walking commercials, and they want everything they see on tv.

Ella was so mad that she didn't get to go to school.  Ella insisted on wearing a back pack and walking Claire up to the door.  She tried to go in with Claire.  Mark had to carry her back to the car kicking and screaming.  She got a well placed kick to Mark's crotch in the process.  OUCH!

Ella wants to do everything that Claire does.  She follows Claire around.  Claire does not love this.  She has started calling Ella a copycat.  This infuriates Ella.  She grits her teeth and starts shaking then will yell at the top of her lungs "COPYCAT!!! COPYCAT!!!"  She will then launch an all out attack on Claire.  Hitting and kicking all while repeating "COPYCAT!" over and over again.  I find this hard not to laugh at.  This girl has some fire in her.  

We celebrated Mark's birthday.  I took the girls to the store and told them they could pick out whatever they wanted to give daddy for his birthday.  They picked out the avengers masks.  I asked them if that is what daddy would want or what they want.  They said it was what daddy wanted for his birthday.  Now when we tell Claire to pick up toys, she says those are daddy's toys.

Alice has started laughing.  I love making her laugh.  She gets especially giggly after eating.   She laughs so hard, that she pukes all over the place.  You would think I would stop making her laugh, but I just can't resist.  I mean look at the chunky baby, just waiting to have her belly eaten.  

Little Miss Alice

Alice's Blessing

Mark blessed Alice today.  She wore the same dress that Claire and Ella wore.  I think great grandma Dye was inspired to make a dress for Mark's girls to wear someday. 

I saw a picture of these shoes on the internet.  I knew they would be perfect for her blessing day. 

It took me a while to find a pattern for them, then even longer to learn to crochet them.  I think they turned out good considering they are the first thing I've ever crocheted.  Believe it or not the hardest part was the green leaf.  I some how made the right shoe bigger then the left, it is constantly falling off.   I tried to blame her feet, saying her right foot is smaller then the left, but no one believed me.

Mark gave her a nice blessing.  Blessing her with a love of learning and a desire to get an education.  An understanding of the gospel and a desire to receive all the priesthood ordinances.  A love for her two older sisters, that they will be good friends and support for each other. Lots of patience for her new family.  

I feel very blessed to have this little one complete our family.  It amazes me how well she fits into our family.       Claire and Ella love her to pieces.  They are always right in her face.   I get worried that they will smother her.  But she loves it.  She has started smiling when you talk to her.  I usually have to make a fool of myself to get a smile,  but Claire and Ella just has to look at her and she grins from ear to ear.  I have a feeling these girls are going to be good friends growing up.  Although with 3 girls the teenage years might get a bit dicey.

1 month

Today was Alice's 1 month appointment.  In the last 2 weeks she has grown 2 inches and gained 2 lbs.  Her head grew by 1 inch. She is growing like crazy.  She weighs 9 lbs 15oz  and is 22in long.  She jumped  from 75th percentile for her age to 95th.  


No wonder all I do is nurse that baby.  She is now fitting into 3 month size clothes.  STOP growing so fast little Alice.

With a house already over flowing in pink and girlie things, I didn't think adding a 3rd girl to the mix would be all that difficult.  I mean we've done this twice already, how hard can a third be?   

 Well with piles of laundry taking over the basement, toys covering the girls room,  and general messiness over taking the house.  I may have over estimated my mothering skills, or under estimated how much more work a third little girl would be.

Mark works nights, so he sleeps until around 1:30ish every day.  He awakes to find us girls still in jammies.  Breakfast and lunch dishes piled in the sink, and a completely overwhelmed wife. 

 I would like to blame having a c-section and a slow recovery from it.   I'll just start feeling better when something will happen.  Ella tried to run away from me, and without thinking a I reached and picked her up.  I then promptly dropped her and fell down crying.  Then a few days later Ella climbed in bed with us one morning then, jumped on me.  Needless to say more crying ensued.  But the c-section can't take all the blame.

Because of complications that happened during the c-section.  This is our last baby.  It would be unsafe and unwise for us to go through another pregnancy.  I have mixed feelings on the subject.  I am a little sad that this part of our lives are over, but at the same time excited to know our family is complete and to move forward.  I find myself holding Alice more, kissing her more and just enjoying this newborn phase.

This affects the choices I make every day.  Choices such as, do I scrub the toilets and mop the floors or do I take my girls outside to run through the sprinklers with their umbrellas?   I choose the girls.  They are only little once.   I don't want to miss out on the important things.  I will always choose my girls.  The mess can wait.  Its a good thing Mark is patient.

Alice Bree

Alice Bree Hansen

June 10, 2012

7 lbs 15 oz

20.5 in

Her birth didn't go according to plan.  After 10 hours of labor, she turned face up, causing her to become wedged between my pelvic bone and ribs.  I pushed for 3 hours with no luck.  We ended up having a c-section.  4 days in the hospital caused me to go a little crazy.  I think Mark may have lost it as well

I never want to spend that long in a hospital again.  

 Mark spent the week balancing visiting Alice and Me, and taking care of Claire and Ella.  I think he did amazing.  The girls were happy, fed, dressed and well loved.

Claire loves Alice.  Ella is a little more aloof, but is warming up.  Alice spends her day sleeping, eating and pooping.  Sometimes all at once.  

Welcome to the family little Alice.

Easter

Better late than never right?

The girls loved their dresses.  It made me happy to see them so excited to wear them.  I started these back in January.  I finished Claire's the night before easter.   They really weren't complicated dresses to sew.  In fact I helped my sister sew one for her little girl in a couple of hours.  I am going to blame the fact that I have two little princesses who won't let me sit down and sew.   It was all worth it.  Too see them twirl, dance and tell everyone to look at their dresses.  We really do have the girliest girls.

Claire in her easter dress.

Ella in her easter dress

 Girls in Easter dresses

 Ella on the easter egg hunt

 Easter egg hunting.  My big belly got in the way.

 

Claire, cousin Tyson and Ella with full baskets

Girly girl

Sleeping with your purse, taking fashion to new levels.

Claire's Valentines

We made her valentines to hand out at preschool. I also did her hair in a heart as per her request for the special day. I love that she gets so excited. She got to go to preschool. She couldn't wait to give her friends her valentines. Her preschool teacher told them they couldn't open their valentines until they got home. Claire was very obedient. She held her box on her lap the whole way home telling me to hurry. She ran in the house with her box as fast as she could so she could read all her valentines. I love seeing the joy and wonder in her face, as she gets to experience this for the first time.

Targeted Ultrasound

Yesterday we got to do our big ultrasound. I always enjoy this one, because the ultrasound technician takes the time to look at everything. It is so reassuring to know everything looks perfect. We counted all her fingers and all her toes. We got to see her sucking her thumb. They also do 3D for us. She has the big chubby cheeks that both Claire and Ella have. I can't wait to kiss those squishy cheeks. Now if only we could figure out what to name this little one.

These pictures aren't so great. I took a picture of ultrasound pictures with my phone.

While I make dinner....

Making dinner has been a challenge as of late. Ella is in the super needy toddler age. She thinks I must hold her at all times. With Mark being at work until the girls bedtime. I had to figure out activities to distract her while I make dinner. The most successful one is coloring. Ella is my little artist. Since she loves coloring so much I suggested washable markers as a christmas present for grandma. Ella LOVES the markers. She will lay down on her tummy and color for hours with those markers. The other day I couldn't find the crayons, so I handed her and Claire the markers to use while I made dinner. I should have known better.

Sometimes it is hard to contain your creativity to paper. It took 2 hours of soaking and scrubbing in the tub to get her presentable, the rest wore off over the next couple of days. Coloring with markers is now only allowed when I am paying attention.

I am in love with this dress. I know its a little early but I am going to make it for the girls easter dresses. I'm thinking pastel pink and purple. I might even make one for the girl in my belly. I am excited.

On the 1st Mark had to work so I took the girls to church alone. At the end of church was trying to load both girls into our van. An older sister in our ward came out and started talking to me about what color our van is. As I was telling her it is a reddish color Claire yells out "Mom why are you talking to that scraggly old woman?" I don't know if she heard her. She didn't say anything. I had a really hard time telling Claire it isn't nice to call people scraggly because I was laughing too hard. Where does she come up with these things?