Audrey at 4 months

Weight:  14.8!!!!!   We have her 4 month checkup in a few days, so we'll find out then. First time I haven't been nervous about a weigh-in. She's definitely eating and gaining well.

Height: ??

Clothing size: 6 months. A few days after she turned 3 months, we ran out of disposables and went back to cloth diapers. She was getting close already, but the thick, fluffy cloth immediately bumped her up a size in clothes. 

Diaper size: Back to cloth! She was rocking her brothers' stash of blue and gender-neutral diapers, but my sweet friend April gave us her first pink cloth diaper, which made me so incredibly happy. And then another friend and I swapped colors, since she needed boy colors and I needed girl... Perfect! Now babydoll has several shades of pink, purple, and even a butterfly print. Looooooove.

Feeding: Still nursing about every 3 hours during the day, and then once during the night. We're still not on a super consistent schedule, but a "typical" ish day for her is to nurse at
6:30am, 9:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm, 9:30pm, and then will wake up once in the middle of the night to eat, usually around 3ish.

Sleeping: She gets a good morning nap before we leave the house for the day, then usually has a super quick nap while we're out, and then a nice, long afternoon nap (coordinated with the boys' nap/room time), and then a quick one around dinner time. She hasn't been the typical scheduled baby we usually produce, but I'm trying to just roll with it, and it's working for us.

Milestones: She just laughed for the first time a couple days ago!!! Smiling and cooing a lot. Lots of noises. She rolls to her side, but not all the way over yet. Scoots around her crib. Gets stuck in the crib slats. ;)

Likes: Still similar to her newborn days... Being held. Mama's milk. The Ergo. Her paci. Being swaddled. Also, she loves being talked to, looked in the eyes, undivided attention (which I have to be intentional to give her, with her older brothers also vying for my time!!)

We sneak in porch swinging whenever we can!

She doesn't know yet, but she totally has a crush on Beau baby. ;)
#arrangedmarriage

Meeting sweet baby Martha and getting some snuggles from Elodie too. ;)

Dislikes: Mostly still the same as her whole life-- Not being held. Her car seat. Tummy time. (Baths have improved some- she doesn't scream the whole time anymore.)

Tummy time staredown. 

Adventures: First trip to the pool. Many, many trips to the splash pad. Owen's & Mommy's birthdays. First Cow Appreciation Day. First stroller ride!!!

I usually carry her, and keep her brothers contained in the stroller,
but she liked riding for the first time!!

What we couldn't live without: How many times can I say the Ergo?!

Best part of parenting this age: This age is really fun! We're all kinda in the swing of things now... Not so sleep deprived, the boys are adjusted, we're in a good rhythm and enjoying our summer days... And she is just so sweet. All that to say, I'm definitely at my max capacity. Not much room for much more anything!!

First Daddy-daughter dance
(alllllllllllll the heart eyes)

Hardest part of parenting this age: Having three kiddos three and under is really really sweet and really really hard. They're needy. They scream a lot. I cry. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Love my babes.

Audrey's name meaning

Audrey Katherine Buckle. Andrew and I always have such a hard time naming our kids, but this was our easiest pick by far. My mom's mom-- my grandmother and little Audrey's great-grandmother-- passed away about a year before she was born, but lived an incredible life of honoring the Lord and loving her family. At her funeral, when people were describing her, the two words I kept hearing were "strong" and "kind," two characteristics we hope for our little Audrey. I remember thinking I was so proud to be her granddaughter, and now I am so proud to name my little girl after her. I so wish Grandmom could hold little Audrey, and that I could've seen her face when she found out we named our baby after her. "Audrey" means "noble strength," which reminds me of the verse we have up in her room, that we've been praying into her life... Proverbs 31.25. "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."  

It's also a tribute to my own mother, who has modeled unconditional love for her children over and over. Andrew is big on name meanings, so the boys each have significant meanings- Graham: war-like and Owen: young fighter, because we want them to fight for things that matter and be warriors in God's kingdom. Each of their middle names is after Andrew's two grandfathers. Audrey's middle name, Katherine, means "pure," which we love, and is also Elisabeth Elliot's mother's name (spelled differently), who I wanted to incorporate somehow. The boys and I had been calling the baby in my belly "Audrey-Luke" for months, because if she had been a boy, Luke would've been the name we would've used. I thought Graham might call her "Audrey-Luke" for months after she was born too, but he quickly switched to "Audrey" with no problem. He was so confident she was a girl my whole pregnancy anyway! Haha. Owen just squealed over her for the first few weeks, but now he calls her "babydoll," which is adorable, because he can't say "Audrey."

What's it like...??

So many people have asked me about what it's been like transitioning to 3 kiddos, but I think the real question is- What's it like to have 3 kiddos 3 and under?? Because that's the kicker, let's be honest! We're talking basically three babies. All of my kiddos are 20 months apart, so when Audrey was born, Owen was 20 months, and Graham was a few months over 3 years. Now, Audrey's almost 4 months, Owen just turned 2, and Graham is a little over 3.5 years. Here are some of my thoughts so far... 

• It's a beautiful mess. So many beautiful moments of being in awe over these sweet little babes God formed in me, of sibling snuggles and giggles, of loving the mommy life... And then so many messy moments of toddler tantrums, all-around needy-ness, and my impatience. #keepinitreal

A non-posed hug I walked in on the other day.  #presh

• I've said this from the first couple of weeks, and it's still true... God's given me enough good days to help me feel encouraged, and enough really hard days to keep me humble and dependent on Him.
• I read somewhere that with littles, there are usually 20 minute blocks of chaos/ meltodwns, and then it's over. You can set your timer, and usually in 20 minutes, you can calm down a tantrum, change a diaper, give a snack, discipline, nurse a baby, whatever needs to be done, and then it's back to relative calmness. I've found this to be mostly true, and helps me not get caught in the trap that thinking the whole day was people screaming at me. Usually just 20 minutes here and there... 
• Because sometimes, it does feel like there's always someone screaming at me!!! All.day.long. 

• There's always grace. Always. I've just learned to look for it. On my hardest days, Andrew will surprise me by coming home from work a little early, or Owen won't have a meltdown when I say the word "no," or Audrey will nurse really fast so I can get on to the next thing, or I'll have patience in a situation where I would usually lose my mind. God has been opening my eyes to His little gifts, His grace time and time again. 

I cannot handle the cuteness of this pineapple onesie.
Sometimes Audrey's outfits are my grace for the day. Haha

• Just do the next thing. I think Elisabeth Elliott is the one who said this. It helps me when it just feels completely overwhelming with everyone's needs and my disaster of a house and the fact that I have to feed these people so.many.times every.single.day! Haha.
• I have to schedule when I take a shower. Yep. #life.. It's embarrassing how long I've gone since Audrey's been born. It just doesn't happen unless I schedule it these days.
• I always make breakfast the night before now. We're scrambled eggs/ banana bread/ oatmeal type people, but everyone wants to eat ASAP when they wake up... And I cannot for the life of me get myself out of bed before the kiddos, to make everyone else's breakfast. This simple thing of making it at night has helped our mornings so much. 

• I've become more laid back with each baby. This helps everythingggggggggggg. I laugh with and at my kiddos a lot more. ;)

• It's already choas. I've already done a newborn and 20 month old before, so I'm just adding a 3 year old into the mix this time-- which is the easiest age for me so far! He can go to the potty, put on his own shoes, feed himself, doesn't have a tantrum every single time I say no.... It's pretty amazing. 
• Daddy is SUPERMAN. Every time he comes home. Praise Jesus for Andrew.

Love my babies and wouldn't change a thing!!!