2012 Begins

Obviously I settled into to having 3 kids, or at least have survived. The first few months were a bit tricky, but Kendall is incredible and in many ways my saving grace. I have never been around a baby this content in my life. Watching the kids interact and incorporated Kendall into our family has been wonderful. Siblings are a blessing.

And here we are at the end of another year. Kendall Wynn is 9 months, Charlotte is 2 1/2, and Jackson is 4. They are fabulous and challenging everyday. But probably the best part of being a mom is seeing their little personalities revealed...or I guess I should say BIG personalities because none of our kiddos are lacking in personality.

Jackson and Charlotte have been going to KDO two days a week which has been good for all of us. They love the social interaction and school environment, and I enjoy the one on one time with Kendall. Jackson is smart and energetic. He comes up with the craziest lines of conversation and questions (LOTS of questions). He loves his sisters and is very protective of them, but he also wants to be just like Brandon. He informs me daily that he and B are the same, do everything the same way, and like all of the same things. Very sweet. And even though he is stubborn, he definitely wants to make us happy. A bit of a people pleaser like his mom.

Charlotte looks a lot like B and acts a lot like him too. She likes alone time but is very friendly. She is extremely curious, has to touch everything, will eat anything, try anything, and say anything. Her independence is asserting itself all the time these days and she likes to do things her way in her time. But she also is extremely loving. No one gives hugs like Char...except maybe her daddy. :)

Kendall Wynn...I have no words to fully describe my precious baby. Daily I wonder how she can be our child. She is a good sleeper, eater, and content to be in my arms just observing the activity in our house. Lately she has shown more strength though, letting her brother and sister know that she can defend herself! Basically my biggest challenge with her has been making sure she gets a couple naps each day in the midst of our daily schedule and the high noise level in our house. Lucky for me she is very adaptable. Here are a few pics to bring this blog up to date.

Mr. Cool.

Precious Kendall Wynn

The 3 Amigos

Sweet Charlotte...she is quite the princess.


2012 is going to be full of a lot of changes for us. We are planning to buy a home in March, so we will be moving a few blocks from where we live now. I am excited to be a home owner and to settle in for a little while and the kids are excited to move to a house with stairs! It is two story. Brandon is working hard and enjoying his job. There are many challenges for him as he has moved into a manager role, but he continues to be humbled by where God has placed him with LMI. I am trying to keep our day to day running smoothly and will begin a part time job this month as well, so time management will be of the essence. I always do better when I have a full schedule though, so hopefully it will help me prioritize my time and energy. The past year, my focus has been on adjusting to life with 3 kids and supporting Brandon in various transitions at work. But now I think it will be good for me to work as well so I can drop some habits and time wasting activities that have crept into my days. Going to be an exciting year!

Life with Three.

I may not have to even write anything here because obviously life with 3 children means time to blog is non-existent. But here I am 5 months into Kendall's life and I actually have a free moment. That is pretty much the story around here these days. Having 3 kids totally ROCKS, so don't get me wrong. It just keeps me on my toes. And I am almost certain that the kids have a little powwow at times to plan a 3 way attack where everyone melts down or goes to the bathroom at the same time (remember I still have two in diapers)! So far I have survived these conspiracies though...these munchkins have met their match!

So this summer has been extremely busy for B at work, meaning that he did not take a vacation with us. Kendall and I went to Colorado for a week with my fam while the other two kids stayed with Grandmommie in Midland. Everyone had a blast, but I did feel bad getting a break from the heat while B was back here in SA. Let's see what else...Vacation Bible School (pandamania was pretty sweet), short visit to camp, a few days with Rita and little Max, and a couple trips to Austin. That about sums it up. Of course there was a lot of swimming mixed into all of that.

Jackson turned 4 last month and we had a "Cars" party for him. He is getting so big it is scary sometimes. He is doing preschool with me as well as going to a 2 day program at a church here. Brandon is teaching him to write his letters at the moment, and all I can say is that I had no idea my husband was such a good teacher.
Charlotte is going 1 day a week to the same program and tagging along with her brother everywhere else. She has transformed from a baby to a little lady seemingly overnight. Nobody laughs quite like Char. Or makes other people laugh for that matter...she is quite hilarious and witty like her Daddy.
Kendall Wynn is amazing. She sleeps well, eats well, puts up with her brother and sister with the utmost patience, and pretty much never cries. I did not in any way deserve a baby like her, but I am loving her! This trio makes mothering enjoyable as well as an adventure.

B turned 30 a few weeks ago and I turned 29. Hard to believe how quick the years are ticking by. I am trying to soak up each day now because these kids are growing fast and I don't want to miss a thing.

Newborn Chronicles

Well, they say that the third time is a charm. And I have to admit that so far that seems true. Don't get me wrong, we are still facing the typical newborn dose of sleep deprivation, erratic schedule, and general lack of routine, but somehow I have been much calmer this go around. It helps to be in a house that has plenty of room for all 5 of us, and I think I am generally less anxious about things. Between Jackson and Charlotte, I have seen/experienced much of what babies can throw at their parents.

And little Kendall is already 2 weeks old. A little snap shot into our world since March 26th...

Jackson has been acting up quite a bit. Little man just had his routine, mommy time, and world in general turned upside down. But slowly he is returning to his normal self...thank goodness.

Charlotte adjusted within 2 days. I think she has been so excited to have visitors and most of all more time with Daddy, that she is seeing this older sibling gig to be advantageous after all. :)

B is crazy busy with work but has graciously stayed home several mornings so that I can snag a couple more hours of sleep before tackling all 3 kiddos. Life saver.

Kendall is growing and being adorable. Poor thing has been congested and therefore had some rough nights, but she is so calm overall that I can forgive her for those. :)

And me... I am really soaking up Kendall being tiny while I can, so those quiet early mornings I have with her are precious. Of course unless Jackson hears her crying and comes out to chat it up and ask for candy...crazy boy. I definitly have had a bit of a foggy brain lately though: pouring juice for J and giving it to C, buying seeded grapes when I could have sworn the sign said seedless, and walking into rooms quite a lot only to forget what I was doing. Alas. How is having 3 kids you ask? Well, so far so good, but it is a little harder for me to get the basics done, i.e. eat, sleep, stay hydrated. Praise the Lord for all the sweet families that have brought us meals because I am pretty sure we would all be starved if it weren't for them. Either that or living on smoothies, eggs, and PB and J. These munchkins sure keep life interesting, and I sure love them for it.

Kendall Wynn

Kendall Wynn was born March 26th at 1:02am, weighing 8 pounds. So glad she is finally here!

Our biggest baby...8 pounds!

Love at first sight

The Crew

3 generations of ladies

Daddy's girl from day 1

Uncle Stephen, our first visitor

"Mommy, your belly is smaller" :)

First meeting

Cannot wait to get her hands on baby sister

Big brother, you can tell he has done this before

Charlotte watched for a while

Our new family of 5!

Daddy and his babies

And the feet obsession begins

Charlotte's turn to hold her

Protective older brother

sweet face

Love those feet

Hello Kendall Wynn

So precious

Our sweet Kendall Wynn is finally here!
Here is the labor/delivery story if you are interested...I had contractions for most of the week, and was wondering when things were going to really kick into gear as we passed my due date on the 23rd. Jackson and Charlotte were both 3 days early, so this was a new experience for me. Uncle Stephen drove in from College Station on Friday and about an hour after he arrived to watch the kids, I started legit contractions. We went into the hospital about 2 hours later and were checked into my room by 8pm. I was 4cm when we got there and 2 1/2 hours later, I was 5cm. The midwife broke my water at 10:45pm and Kendall was born 2 hours later! It was a very intense two hours, but just like with Charlotte, I recovered quickly. As soon as she was born, I started crying and all I could say was "I love you" over and over. And I do. She is a sweet baby girl...very calm and yet alert. We just think she is perfect. :)

So, life at home so far...We got home on Sunday evening, and the kids were beyond excited. Charlotte initially was wanting me to hold her and seemed upset about this major change in her world. But within a couple days, she and Jackson settled in (as much as they can) and have realized that they will not be slighted in the love department with the arrival of Kendall. Brandon has stepped up big time with Jacks and Chars, as well as with cleaning, cooking, and grocery shopping. He has this place running like a well-oiled machine and has continued to work on top of that. Such a stud. I am trying to ease back into mothering all three kiddos, although sleep deprivation is the name of my game at the moment. My cup of coffee gets me through the morning, a short nap gets me through the afternoon, and a lot of prayer gets me through the nights. :) But I know Kendall will only be tiny for a short time, so I am soaking it up. It is amazing how relaxed I feel with her. I think after having done this a couple times and being in a relatively peaceful stage of life helps though.
As for the other kiddos...Jackson has been kinda crazy since his routine is way off and we have visitors in and out a lot. He has been begging me to go to school, so I am going today to sign him up for next year. I think we will start with 2 days a week for him and 1 day a week for Charlotte and see how that goes. The two of them just need some activity and they will be very happy. Charlotte has turned a corner in the last few weeks and is asking lots of questions and in general becoming quite inquisitive. She speaks very well, but doesn't just constantly talk like Jackson did. It is always funny to hear her pronounce something perfectly out of the blue. I think she will take after Brandon in that way...slow to speak and extremely inquisitive/observant. Well, better wrap this up. Having 3 kids will be an adventure, but so far I love it.