Lucy's Blessing

Hannah and Mallie were both blessed when they were 4 days old. Lucy had been alive for a total of one month when I started to panic that we hadn't blessed her yet. Crazy I know. So we wanted to make sure to bless her before my Bishop/Ben went out of town with the army. Emily reminded me how cool it was that my brother got to sign her blessing certificate.

 

I do believe this is our first official family of 6 picture.

A few weeks ago a new gal in the ward asked me if Lucy was my first while we were in the mother's lounge. I laughed probably harder than I should have and made a simple question totally uncomfortable. But if she were the one and only this is what our family picture would look like.

We tried to have an impromptu photo shoot during Sunday School in the mother's lounge (did I mention I love that place, because I do) with my friend's car seat cover before I took off her dress. This is about how it went. Poor thing was hungry so the dress came off and no other pictures were attempted.

But on the serious side David gave Lucy a beautiful blessing. I was writing in her journal when we got home that night trying to remember everything while David and I talked. He said while he was blessing her he felt really strongly that this little girls is going to love everyone she comes in contact with. I love that and I love Lucy.

Time Out for Women

Time Out for Women this year was awesome. We had a group of 15 from our ward who drove to St. Louis. This year's theme was Seek The Good and we had some incredible speakers and had a wonderful time being back in a city.

 

 

Our row of women deep in conversation.



 

This picture is for my sister. She was at Time Out in Vegas at the very same time sitting in the very first row. We on the other hand were on the very last row. I also love that Alyssa and Mandy are popping up their heads to try and be in my picture.

 

Love these girls. 

 

I adore Kori. She had 5 kids in 7 years so she knows exactly where I'm at in life. Her youngest is Ashton's buddy. When she sits down next to me at church she always says, "What can I do to help you this week?" Anyway, at Time Out she held Lucy a lot and after the breaks she would come back and tell me how when random people would tell her that Lucy was cute she would say, "Yes and her name is Lucy Mack" or she would dive into my birth story. So funny and so awesome that she was so proud of little Lucy.

 

Lucy was my only child all weekend and traveled amazingly. She was also passed around to everyone all weekend. If I wasn't nursing I hardly held her. When I was huge and pregnant in August and planning on coming in September everyone thought I was crazy for bringing a newborn. But I knew that they travel the best and sleep anywhere at this age. And she proved me exactly right. This picture is from Friday night after Kori laid her down in her seat she kept herself in the exact same position as she was on Kori's chest.

Here are most of the women from our ward. All but two are military wives.

When I uploaded my pictures I looked at this one and thought about how amazing it was that I would and could call almost any of these women if I ever needed anything and I would feel comfortable doing so even in the middle of the night. I've loved every ward we've lived in and always had incredible friends but this ward is especially unique because the Gospel and the military bring us together. And I feel blessed and spoiled to have so many wonderful friends.We stayed up way too late. We ate way too much. Talked way too loudly. And left better wives and mothers and friends.

 

It has to be said that David was an awesome Dad all weekend and said "having just the three of them was easy".  It's amazing the perspective a newborn brings. I couldn't be more grateful for a husband that tells me to go have a wonderful weekend, to spend however much I want at Target (since I see them only 6 times a year) and then cleans the house before I come home. Time Out was perfect once again.

Catching Up

Ashton has been in preschool for 3 weeks and loves it. It's from 12:30-3:15. Those hours were usually his quiet time while the girls napped so I head home and crash most days. I do wish it were only a few days a week but alas it's free so I'm not complaining. I don't know how Hannah got in the picture... and she's the one actually looking at the camera. Go figure. You get the idea though.

Speaking of Hannah. Remember how I told you she adores Lucy??

Well she REALLY, REALLY does.

As I think about finally printing up this blog I'm starting to put pictures up of things I definitely do not want to forget. When David left for BOLC 15 months ago I bought Ashton a spider man costume off ebay for $10. Well he has worn it just about everyday since... and this is what the mask looks like now. He still wears it and thinks it's pretty awesome that  he created a hole for his mouth (which it didn't originally have). It totally grosses me out when he sticks his tongue through the stringy part.

He is totally growing up to a school aged boy. Everyday he comes home puts his backpack away tells me about his day and then goes out to play with friends in the neighborhood till I call him in for dinner. The other night while he was in the bath he told us he had a tick. Sure enough, right there on his neck. So after bath time David got out the tweezers and had him lay down. Ashton started to panic and said it was going to hurt and moved so David missed pulling out the head. For those of you non back woods people you HAVE to get out of the head or it could get infected. Anyway, Ashton got increasingly more frightened which was crazy to us because Mallie and Hannah have had at least 6 ticks combined pulled off of them without even flinching. I got really frustrated with Ashton after a few minutes of him not wanting to lay back down and said "Fine we'll leave it in and we'll let it eat your blood" and was ready to put the crying boy to bed. I know I'm an awesome parent. David ever so calmly finally asked Ashton to stop crying and to just tell him why he didn't want to lay down. His response was "Because when you lay me down it's like I'm being dead. But I'm not dead!" Poor kiddo. I forget he's old enough to explain his fears even if they are irrational. So we talked him out of his fears and laid him back down. Long story short. Tick came out. Lesson learned that Mommy needs to do a better job of asking the right questions and then listening to the answers.

2 Weeks Old

Lucy made her very first appearance at church today. She is a stellar baby so far and mostly has her days and nights figured out so I can handle her waking up every three hours to eat. This has been the best postpartum time so far. The army gives 10 days paternity leave and David planned his to end on the Thursday before his 4 day Labor day weekend. Which means I'll have had him home for over 2 weeks by the time he heads back on Tuesday. He has made my life so easy. In fact, until this morning I hadn't even gotten out of bed before 9am since Lucy was born. David and I made a deal when I got pregnant with Hannah. It was that when a new baby comes along he is in charge of the older ones. Waking up, putting to bed, meals, diapers etc. When it was just 1 or 2 he was looking after it wasn't such a huge thing but now it's quite the task. He has gone above and beyond this go around. He keeps the kids constantly entertained and the house clean. Anytime I do anything for the older kids or try to clean up he tells me not to worry about it and to go lay down. He is amazing.
Now onto Lucy. Everyone at church said she looked like a Jacobson. I don't know what that means - but do you think so?
Here is Lucy's "O le!" pose.

Ashton still really loves Lucy. The first few days he was extra whiney and I thought this adjustment would be really hard on him but now he's okay and loves being the best helper ever getting diapers or binkies whenever he is asked.

Hannah is the most invested in Lucy. Anytime she sees me without a baby in my arms she asks where Lucy is and then asks how she is doing. And she is the crying police. Anytime Lucy even whimpers she comes and finds me and says "Mom! Lucy needs your milks!!"

We're still trying to keep Lucy as far away from this little girl as possible. Mallie likes her but I'm still afraid to leave the room with her anywhere near Lucy. The other big milestone is that Mallie moved in with Hannah and Ashbug this week. They've been keeping each other up later but now they are all finally falling asleep and staying in bed!
So really I am just incredibly grateful. Good friends have spoiled me with lots of great food and David has been the most incredible husband/dad ever. So when people can't believe I'm already up and about after only 2 weeks I can't help but smile because my life has been a breeze these last couple of weeks. I actually had the time to start and finish all 5 books in the Children of the Promise series since Lucy was born. That's how much time I've had lounging around. Don't worry I'll update again when life gets real and I'm on my own next week and doing the preschool drop off thing daily...I just may be singing a different tune - but probably not. Life is good!