Life with 4!

Now that I'm feeling better it's time to get back to the land of the living.  Life with four kids is NO JOKE but the funny thing is, sometimes it's really not that bad.  I had once heard that four kids is easier than three and I never believed it until now.  It's not that your load is lighter by all means, but with four kids I've just learned to say no.  Life will go on if their outfits aren't ironed or they don't have the perfect pinterest birthday party.  Sadie dresses herself and goes to school with wet hair some mornings because I'm too tired to help them get off to school.  Chase drives them and that's all I can ask for.  He can't be Sadie's fashion consultant at 6:45 in the morning.  Sometimes Chase gets home from work and I've yet to brush my teeth for the day.  George is still in his pajamas and that's after I've picked him up from playgroup that day.  If we're running late, he goes to playgroup in his pjs.  It's pretty liberating actually.  It's not that I don't care anymore, I'm just not sweating the small stuff anymore.  I also think four kids might be a little easier than three because I have an almost 9 year old daughter who can be a great help at times.  Emphasis on the "can" part of that sentence.  Sadie is so enamored with Eliza, she wants to hold her all the time and sometimes that's all I need so I can make dinner, get dressed or even just go to the bathroom.  

Jack and George have also been pretty easy going about the whole turn of events.  George asks to hold Eliza almost every day and gives her the sweetest smiles.  I'm never worried to leave them in a room alone together for a moment.  In fact, sometimes I'll come back into the room and find him trying to give her a pacifier if she's crying.  He's loves being my little helper too.   

Jack was never interested in holding George when he was born and is the same with Eliza.  It's not that he doesn't like her, he's just such a laid back little dude that he's not overly impressed with the fact that there's a new baby in the house.  I never want to push it but sometimes he will ask to hold her and it's pretty special when he does.  Jack has been a great help with George.  He and George will just play ALL the time together and are such great buddies.  George can't wait to Jack to get home from school so they can play. 

 They've gotten pretty used to watching me feed Eliza all the time and have even become accustomed to seeing me hooked up to a breast pump.  Jack asked to see my "feeding machines" a few times while trying to open my shirt.  He's a curious little thing and I don't blame him.  How crazy that Mom all of a sudden has these huge things that feed his little sister.  I'm just as astounded! I had to snap a picture of them while watching me pump for the first time.  Pretty hilarious!

Eliza's first bath was quite the show for everyone involved.  She was tired and NOT in the mood.  

The only hard part about having four kids (well, there are actually lots of hard parts, but this one is the one that's really hard for me) is the lack of time I have to just enjoy this last little baby of mine.  Some days all I want to do is just sit and stare at her but I can't!  I have lunch to make, homework to be done, laundry (holy laundry!!!) and about a gazillion other things I need to be doing before the house goes to pot.  But every once in a while, the stars align.  I get George down for a nap, nurse my sweet Eliza and just snuggle her until the older kids come home from school.  Little slice of heaven!

Eliza LOVES this pink fuzzy blanket and does not like being swaddled. She doesn't like to be very far away from me either so this is how we sleep sometimes.   

I'm dead beat tired but that's the other thing that's changed with this baby.  With my other kids I remember being so worried about EVERYTHING and did NOT do very well on little sleep.  I think knowing that this is my last baby, I really don't mind getting up to feed her in the middle of the night.  I'm sure I'll change my mind after a few months of this, but I truly miss her when she's been sleeping too long.  I'm really just enjoying every second because I know how fast she will grow up!!

Chase is still and will always be the best daddy ever!  Most nights when Eliza is really fussy, Chase puts her on his chest and she almost always falls asleep.  We call it her "happy place."  It's one of my happy places too.