The Many Faces of Katelyn & The Dancing Duo

I have been trying to catch little miss Katelyn's smile! She has been smiling at us since day one and I have decided that she is just the smartest baby and that it is not just gas! I know that the picture of her smile is blurry and such, but it is hard to focus a camera away from my eyes while trying to make someone smile...so this is what you get! She is a doll! Oh...and Lora, pick out a few...I think that she looks like you!

Katelyn: 4 weeks! ADORABLE! I love the one of her waving too! (Most of the pictures are in sequence.) I cannot believe that she is already 5 weeks old!!!

And as for the dancing duo... Tori is now willing to not only share dancing skirts, but her outfits and crown too! Gotta love dancing time in the morning! (Check out those BLUE eyes!)

Flying Solo

I cannot believe that time is flying so fast! Yesterday was my first day flying solo (no help with 3 kids)...I must admit that I was a bit freaked out...especially since I have to spend a lot of time on the couch nursing Little Miss Katelyn (who is 4WEEKS OLD!!! What?! How did that happen?!). Well, it all went well except for a brief 15 minutes when PBS went down and Sesame Street was cut off while I was preparing a crock pot dinner and Katelyn was really tired and screaming and Brooke decided to join in the crying fest too! Yesterday went great and we even stayed on our usual schedule (except I didn't get to shower and get out of my PJs until 6:15 PM!). I think I will be able to handle this mom of 3 thing!

So I took these pictures yesterday! Isn't Katelyn a doll?! she has so much hair that she can wear her bows without the headband! This adorable one was made by Tiffany Jones. She has some really cute stuff and I was spoiled with some really cute headbands and bows! This little yo yo matched my favorite dress and so we had a photo shoot! I caught her smile a little late, but that is a little what her smile looks like in the middle picture. Jason is a pro at getting her to smile and giggle. It is really cute!

As most of you know we moved our guest room into our den and made the guest room into the nursery. Jason and I painted the room "a hint of mint" and it looks fabulous. Katelyn models the crib as she takes her first nap in her crib. For some reason with this pregnancy I was into monkeys so she has a few monkey things that will be her own. I am still in love with our Noah's Ark theme and I am glad that we went neutral from the beginning and chose high quality stuff! Up in the right hand corner is a picture of our carrier cover made by Tiffany Dunn... it is absolutely beautiful! I LOVE it! (And just so you know Tiff, everyone comments on it too!)

This is the finished product of the girls' room. My mom brought these vinyl letters and decals made with her Cricket and we went to town one afternoon. It made the room! The girls love it too! And my painting look fabulous, I might add, on the wall! :) The rug was my inspiration. Oh and I have had this fuchsia lava lamp for a long time from my Sterling Capital days and the girls love it!

Sunday pictures! I love taking pictures of the girls in their Sunday dresses! The pictures of Jason and I were taken by our budding photographer, Tori (hence the reason why they are not focused or centered).

So I love this dress and these shoes. I bought these when I found out I was having a girl for the first time (little miss Tori bug). These are the only shoes that fit Katelyn because she has such skinny ankles. I don't even bother with socks anymore because nothing stays on! Her head is still a little small for the little matching headband, but she looked like a doll!

Here are some good pictures of her bouffant after her bath! This is usually what she looks like during the day, all snuggled up in her cocoon and resting on the Boppy!

Last but not least...here are some silly pictures of our Tori bug and Brooke-a-lito. That is Tori's new tub trick and it freaks me out because I think that she is going to drown! Check out Brooke's farmer's tan! And I am still in love with our tax return investment! Love that swing set!

Watching my babies grow...

I cannot believe how much having a baby makes me realize how much my other little babies are growing up! Tori was playing with Brooke and grabbed her around the shoulder and said, "You are my best friend!" Ahhhh! I will not explain what broke loose after that, (kicking and screaming, pulling hair), but it was a tender moment! Yesterday morning Tori was talking to Brooke in bed before their alarm went off and they were just blabbering to themselves, making conversation, mostly about how much Tori missed Auntie Lora and that Livy (their cousin) was going to visit them.
Tori constantly wants to hold Katelyn. It is pretty cute! We finally mastered a way that she can hold Katelyn all by herself.

We wrap the bobby around her and then drop the baby right onto her lap. Katelyn and Tori will sit like that on the couch together for about a half an hour. Tori loves to play this little piggy with Katelyn's "cute little toes". She also loves to hold her hands and play with her hair.

Princess Victoria and baby Katelyn.

Who can resist snuggling with Katelyn?! After she eats she stays awake for a while to explore the world around her. She is usually snatched up into someones loving arms and it is usually Grandma Frann! Katelyn smiles a ton and she has revealed to us that she has two dimples on her cute little cheeks! (I haven't caught these on film of course, but they could melt your heart!). Her hair is still as crazy as ever and I will have to remember to take a picture of her bouffant after she takes a bath! Her hair is a bit curly and wavy! I think that her eyes are going to be dark blue like her Auntie Marie. She looks an awful lot like her Auntie Lora... sometimes it is a bit uncanny.
Katelyn slept a whole 4 hours in a row last night! Hurray for sleep!!!! She is getting bigger and bigger...Last time we checked she was 7 pounds 6 ounces. I cannot believe that she is already 3 weeks old!

Brooke...well, she likes to give Katelyn kisses and give her "the rock". Brooke is still improving her clown act daily and is quite the one ring circus! In this picture her hair is plastered with a large amount of spaghetti goo!

We went out yesterday morning and took the girls to the duck pond. Brooke was a little skeptical at first and stayed in the car. She didn't like the hissing geese so much. Tori helped Grandma and Grandpa spread the bread love and by the end we coaxed Brookie out of the car! We are having a lot of fun with Grandma and Grandpa and I wish they could stay here forever! I now know why there are some cultures where all of their extended family lives under the same roof! My parents are amazing helps here and I can't believe that next week I will be flying solo!

A Name and a Blessing

We have an amazing family! During the last two weeks we have had family come from Utah, Oregon and California to visit with us and celebrate the birth of baby Katelyn. Thank heavens for their help and all of their extra arms! I am still not exactly sure how I am going to handle having 3 little munchkins all by myself!
All is going well with my recovery. Each C Section seems easier and easier (this is the 4th one!) and the pain is pretty much under control. Katelyn is the best baby. She is breastfeeding like a pro and sleeps pretty well too! (Although I am still tired a lot!)
Here are some pictures from the last week or so.

The girls seem to really love Katelyn (as well as all of her Aunties, Uncles, cousins and Grandparents....not to mention Mommy & Daddy...oh and basically everyone that she meets!).

A doughnut feast brought to you by Auntie Marie! One way to keep Tori and Brooke busy is FOOD! Brooke and Tori devouring some Krispy Kreme doughnuts! I love that hat!

Katelyn...what a cute little cupcake! Need I say more?! This is a picture at 7 days old after a little sponge bath. Check out that hair! I bought this little outfit especially for Katelyn when I found out that I was having a little girl! TENDER!

Here are some pictures of our visitors. Mind you there are only a few because Lora was the photographer of this special occasion. Auntie Marie came before the big huge rush (and we all know that she just wanted to have more snuggle time with Katelyn and not have to share her with a half a dozen other people!) Over the holiday weekend we had a house full of visitors! Grandpa & Grandma Dinger, Grandma Frann & Grandpa Lee, Auntie Lora, Uncle Jake, Oscar and Livy all hanging out at our house at the same time. It was really crazy in our house, but it was so much fun! I loved seeing the girls all playing together and watching Oscar love on his new little cousin Katelyn. I miss my sister so much it hurts sometimes. I am glad that she made the trip even though the trip home was rough with all of that California holiday traffic!

Our sweet little angel baby is now officially known as Katelyn Amelia Dinger!I decided (on kind of a whim) that we should bless Katelyn this Sunday because most of the people we would want in her circle just happened to be here all at once! It was serendipitous! Jason gave her a beautiful blessing and I was able to sit through the first hour of church! Her dress was a present from Grandma & Grandpa Dinger and Auntie Marie and although it was a bit large, it was perfect. I bought the shoes at Target and the little lacy socks at Walmart! The hair bow was the same one that Brookie used and is absolutely gorgeous! Little miss Katelyn looked beautiful and was a doll as we took 8 million pictures of her and all of our family! There will be an amazing blog of all of the pictures that Lora took after she has edited them. I just took a few as she was photographing.

Baby Katelyn Amelia

Sorry this is going to be short, sweet and to the point. It hurts to sit in hard chairs and I have been on it for a half an hour! This is for all of our fans!

Katelyn and I the night before delivery modeling the nursery!

Katelyn Amelia was born at 7:55am and weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces (my biggest baby yet by a pound!) and is 21 1/2 inches long! How did she fit?! Check out all of her hair! Here is crossing our fingers that she doesn't lose it all!

Katelyn's crazy sisters!

Tori thinks baby Katelyn is the best! My favorite picture is of Jason and all 3 girls! All of our visitors in the hospital. Not pictured the Alvi ladies who brought me homemade chocolates and Ursula and Stacy! Thanks for coming to visit Katelyn and me!

Coming Home! They always look so small in their carrier the first time! Tori and Brooke made us some pretty posters to welcome us home. I am glad to be home, but I am SO TIRED!!!! Katelyn is a doll and has a really sweet temprement. I can't wait for you all to meet her!

"Mommy, You're My Best Cousin"

The girls hopped into our bed on Sunday after their alarm went off and Tori curls up to me and says, "Mommy, I love you so much! You're my best cousin." Ahhh! I thought it was so cute...I am sure that I would have cried had it not been 7 am and I was barely awake!
Then during church she is rubbing Jason's hands and says, "Daddy, you have big, big, big, fur!" We got a quiet giggle out of that one!
So...there are only 6 more days until baby girl #3 joins our family and we are almost done with both of the bedroom makeovers. I promise pictures! Brooke is now officially sleeping in her toddler bed and hasn't had too much trouble. The first night she was a little scared, but she was great during her nap the next day and hasn't had too much trouble (except last night she did end up in the middle of the LuvSac that is now located at the end of her bed!).
Tori is enjoying the countdown for Grandma and Grandpa's arrival and the baby. Anyone she talks to she says, "Guess what?! Grandma and Grandpa are coming today, in (fill in the #) days!" and then she goes on to say, "Guess what?! The baby comes in 1 week! A baby, a baby, a baby!" (The last phrase I believe she got from an episode of Dora the Explorer). This phrase is then repeated at least 100 times in a day! (You think that I am exaggerating, but I am not!)
Right now Tori is sitting behind me brushing my hair and saying, "Mom, you have Pocahontas hair! You are a princess. When you are done you can have a crown!" I can hear Brooke in the background banging on our Rock Band drums! My girls are so cute! **After a short break consisting of putting away dishes, putting the clothes in the dryer, making Macaroni and Cheese, and eating, blogging may again commence!**


Here is proof of our silliness! Brooke is all scrunched up in one of the baby boxes that I put burp clothes and blankets in. Tori took a pair of Jason's socks out of the laundry and slid them on. What a silly goose!

We decided to play in the sprinklers...don't ask me why we haven't done this before, it just didn't occur to me...or maybe I am just lazy?! After watering the garden, the girls whipped on their swimsuits and were in the water. They were both a little skeptical at first, but they both got into it. Brooke had enough after she was soaked, but Tori was in the sprinkler on and off for about an hour!

Can you tell that she LOVED it?! What a stinking cutie! And the towel picture...priceless!

Well, our little water princess dried off by running around the lawn, playing on the trike, swinging, eating a Popsicle, and dancing like a butterfly. I think that my girls are so BEAUTIFUL! I cannot wait to see what baby girl #3 looks like! Only 6 more days!

A 33rd Birthday, Chores & Other Random Things

HaPpY BiRtHdAy To mE!

I am officially 33! We actually celebrated on Saturday. We splurged and Jason and I went on a real date! We got a babysitter and saw Harry Potter (our babysitter actually cost more than our movie! and we probably paid her pretty cheaply too! YIKES!). The movie was better than I thought it would be and it was fun to see one more movie on the big screen and have a real date before we have baby #3. Later we took the kids to Tucanos and celebrated with a free dinner for me and the girls. We just had to pay for Jason's dinner and our desserts! Great deal when each dinner is $20!
Sunday (my actual birthday) was like any other Sunday, but with a little bit of funfetti cake and candles! Jason and Tori made me a cake and the girls LOVED singing and blowing the candles out with me! I love how Brooke looks like a ghost in most of the pictures! My birthday present was actually Wicked tickets, so I just got cards from Jason and the girls. Tori picked out a musical card that plays the song "Celebration". She loves to play the card and watch us dance (in fact I hear her opening it right now!) I have to write down Jason's cute card he gave me...it is a tender poem...most of the time he gets me silly funny cards so this is extra special!
My Heart Belongs to You
Whether it's your birthday or just any ordinary so-luck-you're-in-my-life-day...
Whether we're laughing together or talking about our worries and frustrations...
Whether we're being moody or sensitive, maddening, or romantic...
The truth is, it doesn't matter what or when or how or why...
Every day, in every way-I love sharing life with you.
Isn't that so TENDER?!

Ok...to the kids...Brooke LOVES the computer, so I got a few pictures of her and her favorite toy. Anywhere we go (the library, Walmart, other people's houses, stores...etc.) she hones in on a computer and pretends to type. Today while I was talking to Lora on the phone she turned the direction of our laptop screen a different direction and opened 23 Word windows! I still have no idea how to change the direction of the screen!
Tori has been on a Dora & Diego kick (complete with Spanish words and all...it is quite cute to hear her count and say words in Spanish!) so she likes to travel with a backpack everywhere. I got this one for her about a year ago at Goodwill for $.50. She has it packed with all kids of Princesses!

Monday, Monday.
Monday is always filled with chores and is usually spent at home all day (except for my non-stress tests for baby #3). So I thought I would take a few pictures of the girls helping me out with the chores.

Tori LOVES to help with laundry. Her jobs include: pouring in the soap, helping to load the clothes in the washer, loading the clothes in the dryer, and then putting the clothes from the dryer to the basket.
Brooke's job is to hand me the clothes from the basket. Clothes are all over the laundry room by the time she unloads the basket, but she has a lot of fun doing it!
They both love to sit on the washer once it starts because they like the vibration and they like to kick the washer to make it sound like a drum. And who doesn't like to play in an empty laundry basket?!


Oh how I really DO NOT like to put away (or wash) the dishes! Tori LOVES to put away the silverware, so that is her job. Brooke just likes to think of ways to get the dishes without me taking them away! Here she is contemplating the task ahead!


Another thing Tori LOVES to do is help make her lunch (and participate in any cooking or baking that she can). Today our menu was: Macaroni & Cheese with Chicken Nuggets. I love her macaroni & cheese grin! She pours, stirs, waits, stirs, then adds all the ingredients to make the sauce and stirs some more. Then she gets off the counter and picks bowls for herself and for Brooke. Mmmm.... and it was DELECTABLE!

A Work of Art

Well, I will end this magnificent post with the painting that I just finished for the girls' room! They are acrylic on canvas. I got the idea from a rug that we purchased for the girls' room a few months ago. It took me about 3 months to finish them (not necessarily because I worked on them every day), but I finally got them done! We have to redecorate their room because we are taking out all of the nursery stuff for the baby room. So I will post pictures of both rooms when they are all done.
That is all for now! Until next time!

What are we up to?

Well, July is finally gone and it is August! My FAVORITE month! I will be 33 in 6 days and baby girl #3 should be here soon...well, at least by August 23rd (here's for hoping that she is early!). The summer hasn't been all that bad...it is the regular prego stuff that is killing me (the horrid sleep, heartburn and the fact that sitting for longer than an hour kills my well padded butt!)!
Well, enough complaining and on to what you really care about...the girlies!
Tori and Brooke like each other more and more each day. Sometimes they even play together (GASP!) and it is really fun to watch. They both LOVE to play outside in our massive backyard. They are both old enough that I can just let them go out and have fun without me having to be out there to watch them all the time.
Tori is getting much more helpful and more stubborn. She has chores like putting away the silverware and cleaning her toy messes and at times she enjoys it, and then other times...it is like pulling teeth.
Brooke is talking more and more each day (she parrots just about anything we ask her to say) and she just started saying "Tori"! Brooke is also pretend playing more. It is fun to see her imagination at work.
Anyway, on to the pictures!

These were taken last Sunday! Sooo cute in their Sunday dresses.


Tori LOVES Sunday...she loves to go to church and be with all of her friends in Nursery. Sometimes she cries when we have to go home! She is developing quite the sense of humor too... she is so FUN! (PS don't you just LOVE that picture with her hands under her chin...boredom? I'm not quite sure.)


Brooke loves to get into things that she shouldn't and quickly finds those things in any room. Although she likes to wear dresses on Sunday, she wishes that Nursery didn't exist. She is still in the mother clingy stage, which means there is no way that she will stay in that Nursery room by herself. It doesn't help that there are 12 (yes 12!) other kids in there with her below the age of 2 and only 2 Nursery leaders...oh and there will be more kids turning 18 months before the end of the year! YIKES...it is complete chaos! So it just means that Jason or I have to stay in there with her the whole time (or I just give up and take her with me to Young Women).
On Friday I made peanut butter bars and to Brooke's joy, Tori was sleeping so she got to lick BOTH of the frosting spoons! Pure JOY!


Here are some fun times...Jason built the girls a movie fort and they watched a show under the tent! And good ol' Cami kitty taking a snooze and a stroll in the play stroller.
I will try and take more pictures...it was a pretty sad day that I only took a smattering of pictures from the 4th until now. I will try harder!