Her Youngest Client

 His look just screams, "Really, Mom?!" Sorry Lil Dude, it wasn't my idea. Talk to your Dad.  Babies getting haircuts at 8 weeks?  Unheard of.  Daddy said that just because you're a baby doesn't mean that you have to look scruffy.  {As for our stylist, LOVE her.  She cuts our entire family's hair.  J jokes that we pay her mortgage every other month.}

Motley Crew

 Oh my little Motley Crew, how I love you.  The Girl - annoyed that I've arranged a group picture, Little Sister - sincere and sweet, Baby Miss - cheesey smile to match the bigger-than-life personality behind it and Mr. Mr. - quite possibly overwhelmed. Today with every click of my shutter I was reminded that my cup runeth over.

 This Lil Guy is 8 weeks today.  Really?!  Can hardly believe it has been that long yet it's like he has been a part of our family forever.  He flashed me a dazzling grin that melted my heart on Wednesday.  His first real smile, not the involuntary ones that occur when he's sleeping but ones that require effort and concentration and that are sometimes preceded by a coo.  He had to work up to this one.  As I was cheering him on I could see it first in his eyes, then his fists started shaking and a few moments later, voila!  Good things certainly come to those who wait.  I love waiting on smiles.  Nothing else I'd rather do.  Since his birth, the Girl

 has really come into her own.  It has been something special to see her nurturing him and it has extended to Baby Miss as well.

This house is full of it

Oh Sunny Day!

 The lovely sunshiney weather is still trending.  J arrived home from work early today so it was only natural to make the most of the sun's warm rays.  We packed up the two Monkeys in the Middle, Wee Babe and set off for the sprinkler park.  Splash pads are our answer to outdoor pools (which are hard to come by in this neck of the woods).

Church on the Beach

The promise of impending sunshine lured us to the beach this morning.  When we arrived the only other occupants were this shy gal and long-legged fellow.  All was quiet except for the lapping of the waves on the shore and the occasional hum of a boat passing by.

While J and Baby Miss headed down to the water's edge, the Girl and Lil Sister gravitated toward the uprooted stumps and driftwood nestled against the coastline hill.

Baby Miss was captivated by the sea critters that were easily found under overturned rocks.  She loved these little crabs and spent most of her time rooted in one spot playing with them.  As such, her big Sisters dubbed her the next Wild Kratt.

And this little guy, he slept the entire time.  Such a dreamy baby.  We love him so.

With extreme joy...

...at 10:52 this morning, we finally welcomed Little Dude.  He weighed in at a whopping 8 pounds 10 ounces, is 21 inches long and has an impressive amount of hair.  Our hearts are bursting at the seams with love, awe and adoration.  We have been abundantly blessed by our heavenly Father.

What now?!

Well now, this is just annoying.  This is what I look like today.  There's a baby still living too comfortably in my uterus.  He was supposed to arrive yesterday and I was banking that it would've been even a few days before that.  I've never gone a day past my due date.  In fact, I've never even made it to my due date before.  The Girl and Baby Miss were both one day early and Little Sister joined us two weeks before her due date.  Now what am I supposed to do...wait?

A Few of My Favorite Things...

 The arrival of spring is my favorite time of year.  One of the reasons...these little guys.  Every year they usher in the new season with a welcome chorus every night.  No matter the temperature outside, every night I open the window of our bedroom so that I can hear their song loud and clear from the greenbelt that borders our back yard.

 Another favorite, the pink blossoms on the trees lining the streets in our neighborhood.  And this year, the addition of a sweet little pink bird house crafted by the hands of J and the Girl last summer.

Last but (definitely) not least.  The lengthening days and more frequent appearance of the sun.

Bonded

 These two.  The Girl exhibits a certain level of patience for Baby Miss that she doesn't extend to Little Sister.  A nurturing.  Today in the warmth of the sunshine that graced us, she helped Baby Miss put a helmet on and hone her amateur scootering skills.