Four months already?

Where did the time go?  In some ways it seems like ages ago Dr. Counts told me to head in to OB Triage.  Silly me not knowing I was in for good until I heard the receptionists talking about it when I was checking in.  I still remember the fear when she said "we're going to have some babies today."  Heck, it can still make me tear up.  I clearly remember the fear of not getting to really see them as they were whisked by, the fear of the nurses not being ready to grab Zach man when he practically climbed out of me on his own, the fear of our little Addie girl not really crying when she came out.  I now know Zach will move a mile a minute and Addie is still the silent partner in the group.  OK, okay, enough reminiscing or I won't be able to type anymore...but all that seems like ages ago.  Four months.  Four wonderful, tiring, loud, stressful, sad, fabulous, life changing months.  Here are our amazing kiddos four months, 16 weeks, in to a life that they should only be 11 weeks in to.

Katherine Taylor was born first.  7:58pm, 7-9-11, 34 weeks, 4lb 4oz. 
She is now close to 13 lbs. She will melt the heart of anyone who meets her. She has a smile she will share with anyone. She is now giggling and starting to jabber often. Lately she has inserted a laugh at just the right moment, for instance John and I will be talking..."Can you believe x?" Katie laugh fills the air, followed by our laughter at her timing. Maybe not the best to explain on a blog, but so so funny when it happens. She has recently decided that since she is the oldest her bed time should be longer than the other two. So, she often keeps us company for at least 1/2 hour after her brother and sister are in their crib. As the two bottom pics can attest, she likes to have her hands up when she is on the floor. The other day dad caught her with a death grip on Zach's bib pulling it toward her - poor guy.  Today during floor time Addie starts screaming...Kater-bug has a grip on her ear pulling for all she is worth. A pistol already our Katie girl is. Her most adored item is her pacifier and she recently discovered she does like stuffed animals with the introduction of a small monkey (a gift to Zach). She is our Katie girl. The first little was saw that night. The first little who started filling our hearts and lives with love.

Oh, we're doing pictures today?

 What's a fancy giraffe like you doing in a chair like this?

 I don't know mom, it's not talking back.

Zachary Micheal entered this world quicker than expected.  7:58pm, 7-9-11, 34 weeks, 4lb 5oz.
Zach is now 13 lbs or more. He is quite the jabbermouth, or pterodactyl when it comes to eating. He has always been our little alarm clock. He has the absolute sweetest smile and has recently started laughing. The absolute best is when he sneezes! "Achoo" followed by whooo. Every time! John likes it so much he wants that to be his "error/wrong key" sound on this computer. He was our early talker and is now just experimenting with sounds. However, when asked to say mamamama he just smiles at me. He is quite the morning person. He starts smiling practically the moment you pick him up. Zach was such a fusser when he was younger (can you believe that, younger...he's FOUR MONTHS OLD!  You can't get too much younger. lol) but he has grown out of it so much. Mom, Kim, and even Helayne can attest. The new schedule we set when Auntie Helayne was here is great for him. He still has a love of music. John's specialty is sing-a-longs which Zachers loves. He is also a fan of the no tv rule since it means we play more music. Even when he is a little fussy, turn the music on and he often stops to listen. Our Zach man KNOWS he is the handsomest boy on the block. Every time he is placed on the play mat he starts looking for the handsome guy in the mirror to admire. Zachary will grow to do great things. He is already a mind fast at work as many of our pictures have attested to.  Zach still loves his giraffe and likes the noise of a rattle as well. He is the little that squirmed his way into our world faster than expected. He is the only little we got a glimpse of a picture of that night as they whisked him away. He is the boy that has stolen our hearts forever.

the thinker

"Hey, do you see that?"

look at me sitting up so good

Adalyn Claire.  7:59pm, 7-9-11, 34 weeks, 4lb 2oz
Our little peanut was the last to enter our lives and hearts. She is still our smallest at maybe 12 lbs.  She is the girl who will smile at you with the bottle in her mouth as if to say "oh, you want me to eat this?  Really?" Her smiles have always been more reserved, but are absolutely beautiful when they happen. Maybe that's because they are more reserved. I call her the silent partner in the bunch. She is just now starting to experiment with sounds, unless she is close to going to sleep that is. If that is the case, she is more than willing to let you know she is not happy. Our little Addie can pout like no one else! That bottom lip juts out, the mouth turns down, and her eyes look up at you...unfortunately for her it makes me smile. She often turns her frown upside down too, luckily. Addie was the first to start hitting the toys on the play gym and she is still content to do so. She will be our thumb/finger sucker extraordinaire. It's nice that she can soothe herself, that is when she wants to of course.  She is still a cuddle bug with both us and her siblings. She was, and I think always will be, the one to snuggle up to another. He absolute favorite sleeping position is on my chest...but don't ask how I know that.  :) Addie may be the first to roll over as she often is half twisted in her sleep and when laying on the play mat will twist her leg over. The other night Sophie tried to help her with a little nudge, but it wasn't quite enough. Addie's favorite item is also her giraffe. I am a better mom in that I had a friend pick up a second one so both her and Z-man can have their own. (but I'm not sure whose it is that Oliver was taste testing tonight...) Addie girl may have been the last to enter our world, but she is in no means the least. She is a little with her own personality and her own place in our overflowing hearts.

Hehe, I don't know about smiling for the camera mom.

I like my serious face better.

Oh, that laugh!

Umm, this isn't MY giraffe?!?

 
John summarized it best the other night when he called me into the living room, with the kiddos hanging on the floor with him and the dogs nearby standing guard, he looked up at me with a smile on his face, opened his arms wide, and said "There is so much LIFE in this room right now!"