Sounds of silence

So miracle of miracles, all three of my girls are napping at the same time!! YAY!  This hasn't happened in forever and probably won't happen again for some time, but I had to share.  I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Lauren and I were going rounds with her naps.  She still hasn't really figured out how to fall asleep and stay asleep on her own yet.  Today was a step in the right direction though.  She woke up about 15 minutes after I laid her down and I just let her be.  I went in after about 10 minutes and this is what I found:

My other two had finally managed to fall asleep in their beds during the same timeframe.  As you can see, Karen was much more restless in getting to her sleep state than Megan!

I'm going to go and enjoy the sound of silence in my house!  Happy Tuesday.

Featuring My Sweet Potato 3

I wanted to share the hats that were chosen from my UBP12 giveaway.  I ended up doing two prizes because I didn't realize that 5 Minutes for Mom would be choosing a winner if I submitted a prize form... brain-dead moment on my part, but lucky for another winner! :)  And I don't mind having the chance to direct more people to my friend Christine's Etsy Shop - My Sweet Potato 3 - she makes great hats!

The lucky winner directly from visiting my blog was Wendy from Tales from the Motherhood and the winner picked by 5 Minutes for Mom was Adelina from Homemaid Simple

They picked these two darling hats:

If you are in need of a unique and cute baby gift, or hat for your own little one, go visit My Sweet Potato 3!!  I have two favorites that I need to decide between:

Treadmill View {Wordless Wednesday}

My "view" (or really, lack-thereof) from my treadmill... trying to find the motivation for getting up early to this "view" tomorrow morning!

Top Ten Tuesday - Take 1

Today I'm linking up with Many Little Blessings - Top Ten Tuesday!!  It's my first time participating... so enjoy!

 

The top 10 things I'm loving about my online communities...

1. Dailymile - being able to fill the gap in my workouts from not having a running partner since I live in the middle of nowhere and have three little ones.  I'm loving all the support and encouragement I get from those I've connected with. (Thanks Kortni & Kris!)
2. Again dailymile - the accountability of knowing that others are tuned in to my workouts and will see if I wimp out on a run or check out for several days (or weeks)...
3. Facebook - reconnecting with old friends (Hi Mel!) and staying in touch with others that might otherwise have fallen out of touch!
4. Encouragement in my faith journey - Catholic Mother's Online, Team Whitaker, So in Love...,
   
5. Inspiration to "Dream big and goal big.." (thanks Kortni) and still be a good Mom while doing it! - Today is the Day, Run Faster Mommy, Mom Swim Bike Run,
6. Camaraderie - ok seriously, sometimes misery loves company... well maybe not misery but the realization that I don't have it all under control isn't quite so scary and overwhelming when I log in and read that some of you are having similar days... case in point "Reality vs. Perception" from 3 Pink Cupcakes, or just sharing in others daily journeys that so often parallel mine - Our Motto is Patience, Gracie Rae
7. Community, so my "misery loves company" could have gone here... :)  But I was thinking of those wonderful blogs that do such a good job of bringing other bloggers together with common themes... Show Us Your Life from Kelly's Korner, Recipe or craft link ups from The Larson Lingo, or this link up from Many Little Blessings,
8. Recipes! I love trying new recipes, so how could this not be in my top 10!!  Besides Pioneer Woman, I've found more fabulous recipes than I've been able to try - to name just a couple: Savory Sweet Life, The Girl Who Ate Everything
9. Ideas - so I'm not the craftiest person in the world (as in, not really at all!!) but I enjoy seeing other people's inspiration and ideas and it helps me step outside my comfort zones when I'm doing a house project or thinking of activities to do with my girls.
10. An audience... not that I need one, but I started this blog not just to record my experiences, but to share them... Sometimes the hardest thing, for me, as a Mom is getting thoughts that are banging around in my head out so that I can let go, or move on, or make an adjustment, or just simply appreciate how beautifully precious and blessed my life is!  So thank you for reading and for letting me know you are there. 

Baby is "growing" up!

Time is going toooo fast!  It has felt like that since we first had Karen and with each passing year (and each new kid) it only seems to go faster!

I can hardly believe that over 5 months have passed since Lauren was born and she is growing so fast...

Her first solid food:

She's taken to it much more quickly than either of the other two did.  Karen, quite honestly, didn't have a clue!  She wasn't interested in baby food until closer to a year old.  Her apraxia played a role in that, something we didn't discover until later...  Megan liked her food at first, but within a month started refusing anything that came off a spoon.  She boycotted solids until she was big enough to put them into her own mouth.  Crazy girl. :)  Lauren, so far, has been much more amenable to her meals.  We haven't graduated yet beyond baby oatmeal, but we're taking it slow.

Rolling over... she's mobile!

Actually she's been mobile for several weeks as she has figured out how to push with her feet, but now that she is rolling... uh oh!

 And just for cuteness sake... playing with her feet!

Neither of the other two played with their feet, so I find this just adorable! :)  But I realize I'm her Mom, and I'm biased.