Kire sarts school!

Today Kire had his first day of kindergarten. He got a really great teacher and has 2 friends in his class so he was super excited. He didn't act nervous at all, I am so proud of him!
Starwars shirt and backpack

Kael1 month

Kael is 1 month already! It's gone by so fast. He is still tiny, but he's growing and is a chubby little thing. His eyes are looking really blue, they could change, but I hope they stay.

I think he looks like a frog. He's got this round belly and chubby thighs.

Here is him in his first outfit and shoes. Usually I just keep him in those gowns with the open hole at the bottom because they are so comfy and easy to change. Then I got him dressed for the first time and he looked SO BIG.

FML

There has been a glass of milk sitting on our tv stand for 2 days. In an effort to try to teach Erik to pick up after himself I had left it alone, but this morning when I found it there still I couldn't stand it any more.

Last night when he was getting up to go into the kitchen I asked him to take it with him. He said he'd do it later. Then of course he forgot. Do most men have trouble multi tasking? Whenever I go downstairs, or even to another room, I look around and pick up anything around me. I am constantly cleaning up after my kids, I don't want to pick up after my husband too!

Erik is so wonderful. As soon as he's home from work he is playing with the boys. But he does not notice anything around the house. If I ask him to do the dishes or take out the trash he's usually great about it, but I wish I didn't have to ask and feel like I'm constantly nagging.

I guess I'm just feeling overwhelmed. I take care of all of the housework, the bills, the kids, the appointments, everything. And usually I don't mind, but I could do without picking up my husbands messes too.

That's all.

3 weeks!

I can't believe I've had this little guy for 3 weeks now, it's gone by so fast!

Kael is an angel. He rarely fusses or cries and is such a sweet baby. His brothers adore him.

I've heard 3 kids can really be hard. So far the hardest part has been that Kire and Jack fight, and I can't break it up when I'm busy with the baby. So hopefully they don't hurt each other too bad. And I definitely don't plan on running errands with all 3 kids anytime soon, that would be a nightmare. Kire and Jack already insist on sitting in the back of the shopping cart, so I can't imagine I'd get much done going to the grocery store.

The boys are learning a lot about the female body. They walk in on me nursing and pumping and are full of questions. Jack made me try the breast pump on him.

I'm anxious to start exercising and hope to be feeling good enough to start up soon. My sweet brother Trevor just got engaged and is getting married next month! I'm excited for him, but not thrilled to be a bridesmaid in my chubby state. So maybe I can drop some baby weight in the next month, but I'm not too optimistic. I have such a hard time losing weight when I'm nursing! It's frustrating, but I have a chubby happy baby and that's what's important, right?

My sweet friend Jamey took some pictures of Kael, here's a peak, but you can click HERE for her blog and to see more.

postnatal

Today Erik was helping me put clean sheets on our bed and started complaining about his torn shoulder. I responded by saying, "ya, but do you have torn nipples, abdomen and vagina?" He quieted down and said he didn't have a torn vagina.

I feel so much better after this labor than I did after my first two. I didn't tear at all, so sitting and moving have been so much easier, but I forgot it takes a few days for every muscle in your body to ache. I think I've been doing more than I should, plus breast feeding strains my back so I am SORE.

Luckily Kael has been such a good baby. He rarely fusses. The only time he does is when he's hungry and he gets frustrated waiting for my milk to let down. He's a great eater, but it takes him a little while to latch on so my nipples KILL. Hopefully he'll get better soon.

I did discover a couple of cool products that have made this newborn easier too:

A friend recommended this, and my friends from work bought it for me. I never bought a bassinet before and this is a great alternative. It's portable, folds in half, and sits the baby up a little. I put it next to my bed and he sleeps great. It's the fisher price newborn rock n play $40.
The aden and anais swaddling blankets have been perfect for swaddling this summer. I got mine online for about $30.
This product I was hesitant about buying. I saw it on a daily deal site then researched it and found it new on ebay for $11 so figured I'd try it. It's called a Milkie milk saver. You put it on the breast you are not nursing on and it catches the milk that leaks. I leak a lot and it has been awesome. So I don't leak through my clothes AND I can store those 1-3 oz. from each feeding and build up some storage.
These are called Lily Padz and they are silicone breast pads. They stick to my boobs and milk doesn't leak. They were like $17 on amazon, so they were expensive, but they are easy to use, aren't bulky, and will save money by not having to buy boxes of nursing pads.