Fall fun!

3rd child syndrome...I am trying to not let it happen but it's inevitable.  Less pictures, less blogging, less note taking of milestones that are being made.  So let's get started.  

We've been busy having a fun fall.  We've made it to the zoo twice in the past few weeks....once a solo mission with just me and 3 kids.  We met my girlfriend, Jamie at the zoo with her 2 boys who are both close in age to my kids. Matt and I also took the kids to zooboo but we didn't actually get any picture proof of that visit.  I officially went back to work last week and have one night of work under my belt.  Matt has been out of town on 2 separate week long trips and we've been coping just fine.  

Vivian and Oliver are growing nicely and communicating well.  Vivian had her last day in the first steps program, which she has been apart of since she was about 4 months old...quite a milestone.  They are both so funny.  Oliver likes to introduce himself to things (grasshoppers, pumpkins, etc.) stating "me, Vava"  Vivian calls him Vava so that's what he calls himself even though he can say "Olvava", it's pretty cute.  Vivian still loves her babies and her baby sister and is constantly concerned with her whereabouts, milk needs and diaper changes.  Vivian will get close to her face with my phone and shout her name while blowing raspberries like I do in an effort to get her to smile for a picture.  It's pretty funny.  We are excited for Halloween and Oliver requested both he and Vivian's costume idea....but we'll save that for the next post.  We've been practicing saying "trick or treat" and rehearsing what to do to obtain lots of candy when it comes time.  Oliver's new favorite show is "Special Agent Oso" and "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" which has given me a much needed break from "Micky Mouse Clubhouse".  Vivian still does not have too much interest in tv and is happy to let Oliver pick the shows we watch.  Both big kids have an ever growing interest in sitting on the potty several times throughout the day.  Usually when one mentions the need to potty the other is not far behind.  I spend a fair amount of time in the the bathroom these days...I'm not really ready for this! 

Oliver's loves... the color orange, playing ABC's on the iPad, coloring with markers, playing outside, drawing letters and numbers, watching his "shows"

 Vivian's loves.... anything pink or purple, having her fingernails or toenails painted, playing with her babies, playing outside, Bella the dog, helping me with laundry or dishes

Violet is now 3 months old.  I did make it to Target today to get her 3 month pictures taken...she will have printed photo evidence that she was a happy, beautiful, photogenic baby. Violet is a good baby.  Goes to bed around 8 pm, up once in the night to eat just a 2 ounce snack, right back to sleep, up maybe a couple of times needing "pacifer fix", then up around 7ish.  I can't seem to talk her out of her 2 ounce snack yet but she is only 3 months old! :) She eats five 4-6 ounces bottles per day.  She's wearing size 2 diapers and wearing 3-6 month clothes.  She usually has 1-2 long naps and 2-3 cat naps.  We haven't quite figured out a good napping schedule yet but it doesn't seem to be affecting our night time sleep so we'll just ride it out until she figures it out herself.  Violet likes the MAM pacifier like her big brother.  She's very interested in her big sister and brother and watches them intently at all times!  She smiles, coos and chats a lot.  She can roll from her tummy to her back and started doing so right around 12 weeks old. 

Like I say every time I blog...time flies when you're having fun and we are having fun!

Photo proof of my first solo trip to the zoo with all 3 kids. 

Our first bath, triple deep.  

 Pretty painted finger nails.

Enjoying apple cider at the orchard

 Yummy!

This is the best picture I could get with them and their pumpkins...Vivian taking a load off and Oliver trying to lift his pumpkin and telling me how "heaby" (heavy) it was.  

Post zooboo picture...we looked cute!

Playing on the iPad...with Geegee's glasses on!

 Mommy's iPhone is much easier to see with Geegee's glasses on! (pay no attention to last year's Christmas jammies that we are wearing in October)

Sister chats!

3 month photo preview!

Violet is 2 months old!

Violet is officially 2 months old!  Before I know it I'll be back to work (3 weeks away...yikes), Thanksgiving and Christmas will come and go and she'll be one!  Time is flying!  

Violet went for her 2 month appointment today and got her first round of vaccines.  She weighed in at 12 pounds and 15 ounces, up just 4 pounds from her birth weight.  She is the 78th percentile for weight.  She was 23 inches long and in the 63rd percentile for height.  She's still wearing size 0-3 month clothes but will soon be stepping up to 3-6 month clothing.  Last week she started wearing size 2 diapers.  Violet sleeps in her crib and has done so consistently since the second week of August.  She was just too noisy to sleep in our bedroom.  She naps in her crib or her car seat becuase as you can imagine with 2 older siblings we are on the go a lot!  Her naps are still kind of random and unscheduled.  I don't want to jinx anything but for the past week she's been going to bed around 8pm and getting up to eat once in her 12 hour night of sleep around 3 or 4ish and goes right back to sleep until about 8am.  Momma could get used to this!  She's still eating Alimentum formula (can't remember if I mentioned this in my prior blog update?  She had a number of bloody stools and we changed her formula and they quickly resolved) due to her milk protein allergy and takes about 4 ounces every 3 hours in the day.  Like I said before, Violet fits right into our crazy, fun filled family.  Her big brother and sister really do love her just about as much as her mommy and daddy.  We are all blessed to have each other.  

We made it to an IU tailgate.  We had absolutely no intentions in taking 3 small children into the game, we're crazy but not stupid! The big kids had fun running around and Violet slept the majority of the 3 hours we were there.  A good family picture is hard to come by these days...we take what we can get!

I snuck up on Vivian feeding her baby, just like I feed Violet.  She is such a good little mommy.  

Violet in her snake skin pants on her 2 month birthday.  

Me at 3 months...I think Violet and I share similar features.  

Vivian asked to hold Violet...Violet obliged.  

Oliver eating a cupcake at his cousin JoJo's 3rd birthday party!

Vivian indulging on a cupcake too!

The birthday girl!

I'm 2 months old!

What we've been up to!

These are a couple of our newborn pictures taken by Jamie Sangar. 

3 silly monkeys jumping on JoJo's bed!

At the park...this boy could swing for hours!  He loves it!

Down the slide she goes!

 One month old!

Matching outfits and sibling love!

My beautiful big kids!

On the carousel at the Children's museum.  

All smiles!

Vivian and Oliver were in Aunt Mindy's wedding this weekend as the flower girl and ring bearer.  I'm happy to report they both successfully made it down the aisle!  

Violet joined in for a little bit of the picture action.  

Hugs for Aunt Mindy!

Yep, this is it...the best family picture we could get...better luck next time!  Cheers!