Clearly not ready for babysitting...

Not that I would leave our new baby with my 5 year old. But A is CLEARLY not ready for any type of babysitting! The girls have been playing baby non stop since Sam arrived. They are constantly stuffing their poor dollies up their shirts...asking me if I want to feel them kick...and then letting them drop out on the floor at their feet. They lift their shirts to feed the babies, make huge burping sounds, and role play the best of diaper explosions. But babysitting a REAL baby won't be happening anytime soon. This weekend the girls took their babies outside for a little backyard fun and this is how I found A's baby brood.
Gingerly suspended from the trapeze bars...with no net!

Abandoned in the grass...can you say chiggers?

In a heap at the bottom of the slide...face first!

So clearly we have some educating to do before any real babysitting takes place!
And speaking of babies...I can't post without a few updates of sweet Sam. He is doing great...such a fun little guy!
Here he is in his new bouncy seat...a seriously wise investment...he loves it!

Sweet little wrinkled baby hands!

And wrinkled feet too!

He is starting to really look towards voices...and has even flashed a few sweet smiles. I know, I know...it's just gas...but soon he'll be smiling for real!

And he is getting so much more alert! Here he is showing off his big melt-your-heart eyes!

lots of arms

The last of our visitors left this morning. It has been so wonderful to have so many willing arms to hold our sweet baby boy! He has certainly been content with so much spoiling! Both of my sisters were here this week (The Writer and The Librarian) and we had such a great visit. My sisters are my best friends...exactly the two people you would want around after just having a baby. They cleaned my bathrooms, folded laundry, fed me chocolate, and took me shopping. I wish they never had to leave! The writer brought her 3 gorgeous girls who kept A and J occupied and having fun the entire week. And even her husband (The Pastor) volunteer to coral the little girls while we went for an afternoon of outlet shopping.

I thought I would share some of the sweet arms that held Sam this week! Here he is enjoying his cousins!



The Librarian gets a few snuggles in!

Time alone with The Pastor

And The Writer gets her turn too!

Mommy time!

Finally alone...sleeping in his new super mod bouncy seat.

Our sweet guy taking a snooze.

Wide awake at last (and a bit "deer in the headlights") but too cute not to include!

And a fun shot of the inseparable cousins!

New to Ebay

Somehow I have managed to squeeze in a new ebay offering this week! A will be heading off to Kindergarten this fall and requested a special ~take a bow~ set to wear for her first day of school. Since IVYLANE is having a launch this week called Kindergarten Kuties...I couldn't resist jumping in to join in the fun! I will only be making this custom set ONCE! And I'm also offering a sweet matching backpack! Stop by and check them out!

Click HERE to see both listings!

lovely

I have received some amazing gifts over the past few weeks from friends and family and must share one in particular that took my breath away as soon as I opened the package! This gorgeous necklace is from Erin of The Vintage Pearl. The simplicity and beauty of the design is something I will treasure for a very long time! A HUGE thank you to Erin...such a thoughtful gesture...and absolutely lovely! You can check out Erin's blog here and her Etsy shop here! She is expecting her own little bundle of joy any day as well...can't wait to hear! THANK YOU Erin for your thoughtfulness and friendship!

fresh

I have been savoring the freshness of my new little man. Wishing I could capture every little detail of him before he changes and loses that just born, curled up, meowing kitty, soft smell feel. It is times like this that I wish I was an acclaimed photographer.

Here he is in all his sweetness.

Wrapping up the week

We are well into week 2 with Sam home and still enjoying every second with him! The girls are getting adjusted to life with a newborn and showering him with kisses and hugs as often as I will let them. Nothing like having 2 extra little mommies in the house!

This past week, Grandma and Grandpa came to visit so the girls got another round of spoiling! Grandpa bought the girls a Barbie fishing rod and they all tromped down to the lake in our neighborhood for a night of fishing. Before they left I lectured the girls on the art of fishing (I didn't want them to be disappointed when they didn't catch anything!)...but the fish were definitely biting and they each reeled in several fish! They were so proud of themselves! I bet those fish were humiliated being caught on a Barbie rod....I can't help but think about what the other fish said to them once they were thrown back!!

And here are a few sweet pictures of the girls at their "watch week" for their ballet/tap class. At the end of each semester the parents are allowed to come watch the class and take pictures. Of course the class was scheduled for the day we came home from the hospital. But I couldn't miss it...so we came home...threw on our leotards...put Sam back in his car seat and off we went to see our little ballerinas!

This is J doing her "teapot dance". Click here if you want to see the live version!

Perfecting her first position.

A waiting for class to begin and showing off some of her best ballet moves :) I was in tears watching her dance....it was hysterical! I've mentioned before that she runs like Phoebe from Friends...well...her dancing isn't much better...although she does get extra points for effort!

And a few more sweet pictures of Sam. He has changed so much in just a week! I'm actually a little sad that he is already a week old...I would love for time to stand still so I can thoroughly enjoy the freshness of him!

A week of firsts

We are settling into our week with Sam home from the hospital! He is such a little sweetheart...full of snuggles and love. We came home from the hospital Wed. afternoon and have spent the remainder of the week relaxing around the house memorizing all the details of new life. The girls are adjusting well and Sam is eating and sleeping like a pro. We have more visitors coming this weekend...everyone is excited to meet our new little man.

Of course I have been happily snapping away trying to capture a few memories of his first few days at home! This is the picture I think I will use for our announcements. I've gotten several prototypes laid out on Tiny Prints. But if anyone knows any other great sites, send me a quick email or feel free to make a suggestion in the comments!

I'll start with a few more photos at the hospital! Here P is enjoying his brand new son and both of us getting ready to leave the hospital! Here we are snug in the car...ready for the drive home. We surprised the girls by coming home early! They had made us a big sign on the door and special messages all over the driveway with sidewalk chalk. We tried to capture the driveway in a photo (I even had P stand on top of our car!) but the sun was too bright. But trust me...what a cute surprise to come home to!A enjoying some cuddle time with her new brother! She has been a huge help getting us diapers and wipes...she is definitely a little mommy!Sam enjoying a snooze in his moses basket. He has been sleeping great! My sister (The Writer) got him the super sweet little outfit...and I caught him with a funny grin :) I think he looks like a little golfer ready for his tee time!Last night we spent some time outside enjoying the gorgeous weather! The girls got out the sprinkler and Sam napped on his Daddy's lap.
Other than a few extra trips to the Dr. to monitor his jaundice and a run to Babies R Us...we have had a wonderfully quiet week! More company is due today...more pictures to follow!