still here

I promise we are still alive here, just behind on absolutely everything in life (including this blog). Time has somehow sped to an unbelievably fast speed, and there are never enough hours to get through my to do list. Putting away laundry, uploading pictures, writing thank you cards that are long overdue...somehow no task gets completed, and more tasks get added to the list. This, however, is not unique to our family. This is just life with kids. Playing blocks takes priority over unpacking those last few boxes, and I'm continuing to learn that this is okay. But in the midst of all the crazy, our three precious kids are thriving.

Shepherd is a different baby, truly. Since starting prevacid about a month ago, he has become the sweetest little nugget. My heart smiles to see him freed from his reflux pain! He is super wiggly...he can squirm off a blanket in no time, and he is great at rotating until he can see the TV. He rolls both ways, and loves to chew on absolutely anything. He still hates pacifiers--he acts like they are choking him.  He loves to be tickled, and he loves all forms of attention. He is quite the babbler, telling us stories all day. He knows he is going to have to be loud to be heard in this house! He is officially sleeping in his own room now and is growing up way to fast. He is adorable, strong, and so very loved.

Frances is getting spunkier by the minute. This girl has music in her soul--she loves to sing and dance, and often moves to the beat that only she can hear. She still has such a gentle spirit...she gets overwhelmed in big crowds and doesn't like for things to get too rough. She does, however, love a good game of "catch" with B. Her favorite thing to do is take care of her baby dolls and Minnie Mouse--she feeds, burps, bathes, changes, and puts them to bed. She loves to go out to eat, often asking for "restaurants." She is obsessed with art time--she wants a new craft to do every day, which can be hard for mom to manage. She is sweet, creative, smart, and so very special.

Barnes never ceases to amaze us. He is so grown up these days, becoming more and more self-sufficient. Luckily he still thinks he needs mom for a few things, like taking off his shoes, and I cherish the moments he lets me help. B is very particular about his clothes, often rejecting several choices before being talked into something. He loves to play, play, play all day, and has seemingly endless energy. Other than running through the house, he is obsessed with his building blocks. He can build for hours at a time. He likes to hide things, and they are always "at the zoo," which is precious (and has been going on for several months). His verbal skills have improved exponentially, and he now tells stories all day. He is kind, caring, and so very intelligent.

How did I get so lucky?!