Yes we are alive....

I feel like we are on an undercover mission to hideout and have no contact with the outside world. Except the world that is the Peachtree City bubble. That world is okay. 

We are officially homeless. We rented out our house and our tenants have moved in. We decided to rent out our house instead of sell it....which was a good decision. It rented in 4 days. We never expected it to rent so fast....so we were a little unprepared. We had a week to move out (technically we had 2 weeks....but the first of those weeks was spent in Hilton Head. We have priorities people...) Since we didn't have a house to move into that quickly we have been house hopping and living with family. It's been fun....but I'm ready to have my own space and home again.

This week we have been with mark's parents, living it up and soaking in the Peachtree City lifestyle. This basically means daily golf cart rides, TCBY, and living in our swimsuits. Awesomeness. 

Meanwhile, all the moving and house hopping has somehow caused Stella to get even fatter. Or maybe it's the fact that she's 9 months old and STILL REFUSES TO MOVE.

Fine with me. I love fat, lazy, happy babies. I would have 10 more babies if they were all just like Stella. But they wouldn't be. They would all be like Annie. And then I would have to invest in padded, sound-proof rooms. 

Mark has to go out of town for work on Sunday......for 2 weeks!!!! What am I going to do for 2 weeks??? Go bug my mom and whine to her everyday about how my husband is gone and I have three kids to take care of. Bet she's super psyched about us coming to live with her. 

When Mark gets back from his work trip we will move into our new house! Hallelujah and praise be to Jesus for all things holy!

I'm a little excited. 

Happy 4th!

Despite the rain and gloomy weather, we had great 4th of July. Usually we go to the parade and fireworks in Peachtree City but they were canceled due to the weather, so Instead we had a relaxing and laid back day. Mark had a rare day off work, we ate a LOT of food, took a nap, and spent time with family.

We ate lunch and went for a swim at Mark's parents house. 

The water was freeeeezing and Annie could not stop shivering! Lucy jumped off the diving board for the first time without a float or anything....she has turned into such a good little swimmer this summer. 

Back at my mom's house for naps, dinner, some really old and questionable fireworks, and a Pinterest inspired dessert.

Annie is always up for a photo op...

This is what our dessert was supposed to look like....

                              

And this is how it turned out....mine are on the top. My mom's are on the bottom. Pinterest fail. 

They still tasted yummy!

Beach Teaser

We went to Hilton Head this past week with the whole Campbell side of the family (except Tim, we missed you!). Picture 12 people in a 3 bedroom condo, 5 of them kids. It was chaotic even in the best moments.

Despite the chaos and the cramped quarters, We. Had. A. Freaking. Blast.

Seriously. I was already pressuring everyone into a trip next year. Mark and I had to sleep with all three kids in the same room with us. Two of them in the bed with us. If you know anything about me, you know I'm not into that whole co-sleeping thing. I know plenty of people are fine with the whole "family bed" concept and everyone turns out alright and kids eventually grow up and move out of the bed. We are not those people.

I say all that so you understand that all three kids in the room with us for a week, is a big deal to us. We are used to our privacy, used to not being kicked 1200 times in the middle of the night, and used to not having to whisper and get ready for bed in the dark.

However, if it meant another week at the beach with this crew, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would get slapped across the face and end up with multiple children on top of me at 2 am for another week. (those of you whose kids sleep with you probably want to punch me right now)

Since we're MOVING.....(that's a whole nother post) I don't have time to upload and edit all the pics from my camera. I promise I'll get to it soon. I do have some from my phone so they aren't the best quality (since I don't have that hot new iphone 5). I honestly didn't take that many pictures anyway because we were so busy having fun and hanging out.

Our dvd player broke half way through the trip down. Thank you Jesus for Leapfrog entertainment.

First night there, we went down to South Beach and ate at Salty Dog. I'm pretty sure its a requirement to eat at The Salty Dog if you're in Hilton Head. They have live music in the evenings and Lucy waited about 0.5 seconds before she started dancing in front of the stage.

Family dinner out...it was crazy but fun! The little ones were so patient.

The beach at Hilton Head isn't like the Gulf....its not as white and powdery and the water isn't as clear so I didn't know if Lucy would love it or not. Apparently she's not as much of a beach snob as I am because she loved every second.

Later that day...tuckered out from all the wave chasing

Stella with me at the pool one day. She's so fat I thought maybe she would make me look skinnier.

All the cousins! These kids love each other so much. I can't believe they didn't fight at all while we were there (aside from the usual sibling stuff). I swear we didn't coordinate these outfits but it turned out to be perfect for a photo night.

More pics to come!

You know that feeling when you think you might pass out from exhaustion?

Yeah, that's me lately. 

I have been SO tired. Mainly because we have been SO busy. Why is May always so crazy? Our kids aren't even doing all the end of school year business and somehow it's still insane. Not to mention just general life with three little ones will straight wear you out. In the evenings after the girls are in bed Mark and I look at each other and say, is it like, midnight?? (it's not by the way....just feels like that)

Due to all the sleepiness, I've missed a few special events here on the blog. Let's recap.

May 27.....Our 7th Anniversary!! I can't believe we've been married for 7 years. One day I'll tell our love story here on the blog...but not today...one day when I have time and energy and am not suckling an infant or chasing a 2 year old or fighting with a 4 year old. So, yeah....not today.

Mark and I have never been into big romantic gestures. Give us a date night out and we are happy. So for our anniversary we went out, just the two of us, to one of our local faves. It was lovely and happy and giggly and fun and everything an anniversary date should be. 

June 2 and 8th - Mark and I both turned 29. Eeeek. One more year til 30. I'm kinda freaked out, I'm not gonna lie. We squeezed in another date night to celebrate our birthdays.

June 9th- Lucy's first ballet recital

This was so much fun and brought back insane girl-hood memories for me. I took ballet and gymnastics growing up, and though I ended up following the athletic route and playing sports as I got older, I do have fond memories of my dancing years. I did Lucy's hair and make up (thanks to my mom for doing my hair and make up all those years!) and can I just say, MY recital costumes were not this cute.....

She. Had. A. Blast. The girl is a performer....what else can I say. She most definitely did NOT get that from me. That is allllllllll Mark's side of the family. (Name any play or musical, I guarantee Mark OR one of his sisters starred in it.) That's a little known fact about Mark. He has some drama in his genes.

On the way home from the recital, Lucy said "I wish I could do my recital over and over and over and over. I had SO much fun." She seriously loved it. The flowers helped.

June 11 - This sweet munchkin turned 8 months old!

Really can't say enough good things about this chunk. She is so lovey and affectionate. She is also a fattie. But perfectly fat. Just enough to make it impossible to stop squeezing her.

She is showing no signs of moving anywhere fast...which is fine with me. She loves to sit on a blanket and play with toys. She is getting better at eating baby food, though most of the time she just wants to grab what's on my plate. She is still breastfeeding great. 

Her first two bottom teeth are just starting to poke through. She's pretty much a do my own thing in my own time kinda girl. Lazy, fat, and Oh So Happy.

Little bathing suit factoid for ya: All three girls have worn this swimsuit. One of the few things that all three girls have been able to wear. (Having three girls in three different seasons all three different sizes isn't very convenient when it comes to hand me downs.)  It's a cheapo target brand one that turned out to be adorable on and actually held up really well. It's a size 18 months (though it runs small). Lucy wore it when she was about 10 months. Annie wore it at 15 months. And now Stella....at 8 months.

Lucy

Annie

Stella

My pillow is calling me....

Just because

These two make me laugh....

I think they're gonna be best buds one day.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

It's been a strange week.

Mark had to work Saturday, which means he's off today, so my day-o-meter is all messed up.

Everyone we know is sick, except for us (for a change).

And I got asked if Stella was from China. By an ASIAN woman. When I said no she's not, the woman said, "Grandma Chinese?" Ummm.....still no.

To compensate for all the strangeness. I baked. Mark says that whenever I'm stressed or anxious or upset I end up in the kitchen cooking or baking something.

These muffins are a great alternative to my whole wheat applesauce muffins if you want more texture and less fat, as these have no butter. I got the recipe from Taste of Home, and didn't change anything other than using using healthier versions of flour, milk, and oil.


Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins (makes 12)

1 1/2 cup oats (recipe calls for quick cooking, but I used old fashioned and it works fine)
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
3 TB oil (I used coconut oil)
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. Add wet to dry,  mix until combined.

Place into greased muffin tin. You have to fill them almost full as these muffins don't rise much. I am obsessed with these silicone muffin pans. I have yet to have anything stick to them.

Bake at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes or until slightly golden brown on top. My oven takes about 17 minutes for these.

These also freeze and reheat well, so make a big batch and pull one out of the freezer as you need them! 

The Truth About Three

Ever since Stella was born, the most popular question people ask me is, "are you done?" Which I will not be addressing in this post.....sorry.

The SECOND most popular question is, "so what's three like?"

Usually I respond with something vague like "busy" or any word that closely resembles, depending on just how "busy" of a day it's been.

In an effort to keep it real, because you know that's how I roll, today I'm gonna lay it all out there for you. What our day looks like with three kids, things I've learned so far, and what the differences have been from 2 to 3. Keep in mind, my kids are young, I've only been at this 3 kid thing for 7 months now so my wisdom bank is pretty much empty. It may not be entertaining or informative, but I don't have anything else to write about right now so take what you can get and hopefully there will be a few cute pictures of the kids for you to enjoy.

Honestly, the jump from 2 to 3 was not as difficult as the transition from 1 to 2. Part of that may be because Annie as a newborn and Stella as a newborn were complete and polar opposites. Annie had reflux, was fussy all the time (although very laid back and happy when she wasn't refluxing...), was very resistant to a schedule, and was a very light/unpredictable napper. I think a lot of her newborn issues can be attributed to reflux because now she is my best sleeper and eater. And probably the happiest kid you've ever seen.

So after her, Stella has been a dream baby. She sleeps all the time and is a champion nurser. As long as she is in the same room with us, she is happy to be in a bouncy seat or jumper. This makes things a lot easier on me. Although I've talked to other moms with 3, and some say the transition from 2 to 3 was harder. What DOES seem to be consistent however, is that somewhere....whether its from 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 kids, you're gonna have a come to Jesus moment (or month) as a mom. 

One thing that has been difficult for me about 3 kids however, is the lack of privacy. I don't get a lot of me time. Heck, I don't get any me time. I shower, get dressed, go to the bathroom, cook, clean, and everything else a person does in a day, with an audience of AT LEAST one child. Usually 2. Annie is absolutely always present. If Stella is awake then she is present too. Lucy is by my side if whatever I'm doing is interesting enough that she wants to help. My personality is definitely that of a loner, but I have learned to love my little companions. As long as I get a little alone time in at some point in the day, I'm good to go.

Not to use that vague word again, but having 3 truly is, busy. Just to give you a glimpse of what a completely and totally normal moment in the day can look like for me:

 One morning I was trying to get everyone bathed, groomed, and dressed for the day. I started the bath for Annie and Stella and went to tell Lucy to get in the shower while the babies bathed. She was on the toilet, dealing with...umm....something she deals with frequently, so I told her to come into my bathroom to shower whenever she finished. Meanwhile, Annie is wreaking havoc on the house and has every toy that we have ever owned out, open, on and spread throughout every room. I put Stella in the bath and washed her super quick because she was getting fussy and ready for her morning nap. I put her down for a nap then chased Annie around the house 6 times until I finally caught her and put her in the bath. I washed her and then let her stay in the bath and play so I could take a shower (RELAX. The bath and shower are right next to each other and I can see her so don't freak out and tell me I left my child unattended in the bathtub.) About 5 minutes into my gloriously hot shower, Annie starts screaming bloody murder that she wants to get out of the bath. I jump out (with the water still running) drain the tub, pull her out, dry her off, and slap a diaper on her. Then jump back in. Five minutes after that, Lucy comes in and says she's ready to shower. Not gonna lie.....I had kind of forgotten about her at that point. She then gets in with me and my hot shower is now lukewarm. And there's a kid in it with me. Finally I get out and get everyone dressed and glance at the clock. It's 10am. Yeah.....that was a long day.

But for every chaotic moment, there is a moment filled with love and peace. Not like, actual PEACE, because that would be a miracle....but my heart is at peace. The kids playing quietly together while I nurse Stella, or pushing all three of them on the swing. These moments keep me going, and are a great reminder that motherhood isn't all instant gratification. Raising children takes time and it's hard, messy work. Some moments will be ultimate fails and some moments I swear I hear angels singing in the background.

One thing I've learned about having 3, that I didn't learn with 2, is that I have to let some things go. Usually, this means the house. I love to clean. I was born to clean. I was raised to clean (just ask my  mom). But if you walked into my house right now you would swear we were auditioning for the next episode of Hoarders. I know I can't keep my house clean and my kids happy at the same time. So I opt for the latter. I've read several times in different places, that when your kids are young, the days are long but the years are short. I don't want to miss these years because I was mopping the floor. 

Recently Mark came home from work and the house was in complete chaos. We had been back and forth from playing outside and then back in, so there were shoes and tracks and toys everywhere. I hadn't started dinner yet, and I needed to nurse Stella. I usually try and have the house somewhat calm and collected when he comes home because I don't want him walking into chaos straight from work, so later that night I apologized for it being so crazy. He smiled and said, "Sweety, I don't care about the house. The kids were playing and you had a smile on your face and I could tell you weren't stressed and you had a good day. That's all I care about." He gives me more grace than I give myself. I think I'll keep him.

Since I'm very type A, I serve my family best if I have a plan. Because of this, we try to stick to a schedule. That does NOT mean that at 9:05 am we have a planned activity that ends promptly at 9:25 am. It does mean that I keep a general flow to our day so that my kids, and I, know what to expect next. We also have fairly strict bedtimes and naptimes (see below).

Another thing that keeps me sane, is I'm a sleep nazi. I honestly don't understand how people function when they have kids who don't sleep. SERIOUSLY. Sleep is huge for me. Maybe it's genetic, maybe it's because I started good sleep habits from birth, maybe it's because I prayed for good sleepers, but for whatever reason, all three of my kids are great sleepers for naps and at night. The only break I get is when the girls are all sleeping. I know this will change as they get older and stay up later and don't nap, but when they are this little and so dependent on me in the daily moments, I rely on nap and nighttime to recharge and rest. Because of this, I have all three girls take a nap in the afternoon. Even Lucy is required to lay down. Whether she sleeps or not is up to her :)

Along with sleep, I've realized that I need to get up early. This seems counterintuitive. But I am more rested, more patient, and more willing to serve my kids when I wake up before them and have some me time and some Jesus time. The mornings that I decide to sleep in and then hit the ground running because the kids wake me up, I'm cranky, snappy, and I get a lot less done. I didn't do this when it was just Lucy and Annie. But in order to juggle all three of them first thing in the morning I need to be fully awake. I am NOT a morning person, so it's not like I'm waking at the crack of dawn and scrubbing the house and making breakfast and putting on make up. I just need a good 30 minutes to wake up, drink my coffee, read my Bible, and spend some time alone. I'm hoping to learn to get up earlier and earlier so that I actually CAN get some of those aforementioned things done as well, but for now I'm proud of myself for those extra 30 minutes.

I'm not super mom. Most days all that gets checked off my list is feeding and bathing all three of them. I'm slowly learning to be okay with that. This is life with three girls born in 4 years. Its busy, chaotic, and absolutely beautiful.