Sweet Baby Sawyer--A week in the life

From the moment I knew Sawyer was alive inside of me, I knew that he would have a greater purpose in life than I would ever know. I didn't know how, or when, or where he would serve this greater purpose, just that he would bless others and myself immensely. Little did I know that it would start while still next to my heart. He helped me get through a tough patch in my life journey, one that only I will ever remember, but knowing he was there, made a world of difference. After he was born, the blessings just kept coming. His birth was amazing, the day of his Baptism peaceful, and everyday since cherished. He is so adored, so loved, and so a combination of his older brother Cohen and sister Miayla. He is a spitting image of Cohen through life and he has a bit (small, minute, smidgen) of Miayla's sass, which is just enough to make him a little spunky. He has the most relaxed disposition (i say it reminds me of someone after an adult beverage--the edge is a little off and things just flow a bit better) and he is such a good baby. Everyone always asks, "is he this good all the time?" And for 98% of the time excluding Mass time, the answer is yes:) He eats, sleeps, plays, and laughs. It is so amazing the things he catches on to. You would think the third kiddo, it would all be typical stuff, but I am so shocked at how he reacts to life. I will hold him in the middle of the night, just to cuddle, and think, "how can i love this little person soooooooooooo much?" You think I would be out of love by now, but nope. Really blogging about this is even hard because there are no words to describe the love for him. If you are a mother, you know the feeling. I am excited to see him continue to grow. No matter what though, he will always be my sweet baby sawyer:) Here are some pics of him through out a week. Sidenotes: He has over 15 pairs of footed pjs (I kid you not), he is always in them, he slides across the on his belly and I hate him ruining his nicer clothes and with concrete floors, the grippers are a godsend.

Hi momma!
Look, I learned how to color!

I'm such a big boy!!

I'm cute, single, a great cuddler, and I enjoy chasing Zhu Zhu pets daily.

I also like driving Strawberry Shortcake around in her RC car. Although, I will admit I try to eat her sometimes too. Not my fault, she smells sooooo good.

Sometimes the car becomes a flying car.... OR Miayla has realized I have her toy and is chasing me to get it back. Always, gotta be on my toes:)

I like headbands and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I put it on all by myself and walk around with it. I look great in all colors too.

See! It stays on my head because I have a nice shaped head, at least that is what mom tells me. I also like carrying around the bottle brush to mom's cake stuff:) Pretty much anything I am not supposed to have, I LOVE!

I try to be like Cohen every chance I get, he is a sweetie and has so much patience with me.

Look we are twins!

Even when I play with my own toys, they still follow me. What can i say? Everyone loves a man with his own set of wheels!

I'm practicing being a big brother by helping Miayla give her babies a stroller ride. I also snatched their bottles! Victory is mine!

Baby It's Cold Outside

We finally got snow!! Well technically we got snow last week, but I am a little behind on blogging, so we will act as though it is still fresh on the ground:) Cody is trying to sell a snowmobile for his dad, so while it is up at our shop in Kechi, we figured why not drive it around. The kiddos loved it. Cody swore he took a ton of pictures, but oddly, there is only one on the camera. Hmmm, weird. Anyway, the rest of the snow days consisted of making snow forts with neighbors, having hot homemade apple cider with warm chocolate chip cookies, and more playing. Unfortunately, Cody had to go to sunny Naples, Florida for work last week, so we only enjoyed the snowmobile for a short time on Monday. It was way too cold for the kiddos to be out on their actual snow day (Tuesday) and Wednesday anyway, so it all worked out ok. I am so amazed at how resilient they are to the cold. Granted they looked like gumdrops by the time I actually let them waddle out of the house with profuse layers on, but still, it is cold out there. Guess that is why sweet baby Sawyer and I stayed snuggled up inside:)

The princess ready to play

Cowboy about to get pulled on the sled behind the snowmobile. Then proof that he made it out alright:)

Building an awesome snow fort! Cohen was super creative and took an empty trashcan out to assist in making the snow fort bigger, quicker. Not bad thinking for being the youngest of "the boys"!

LOVE HIM!!!

Miayla relaxing on the hill with the girls!

Cohen working hard to make the fort better:)

There are no pictures of the snack break because I was sleeping and Cody did the hot cider and cookies all by himself. He forgets we document things like that, but i really can't complain because again, I was NAPPING, and he did it all by himself:)

I'm gonna look weird

So as we all know, Miayla is a whole lotta sass in a little package. Every time we get her dressed she has something to complain about, with her argument usually ending in "I'm gonna look weird." I have never made her look silly or this "weird" she speaks of. I have way to many photos of me when I was a kid that I think "did my parents not love me???" I mean I know fashions change, but was not matching ever in style? Luckily, I have seen pictures of my friends and family and see that they too were subject to a bad fashion era. But anyway, back to my Mia. Her stubbornness, has just about worn on my already tired body, so we have decided to start letting her pick her own clothes. I know that it will never get too far because when she starts kindergarten she will be in uniform, but for now, it is all her. This should be a fun journey to go on:) Maybe not be too funny if I have to stand next to her in public, but at least looking back, she will have documentation that these were her choices so it is all on her if she "looks weird." Honestly, I am little excited to see what she comes up with. She always tells Cody that things don't match, or don't go together. It's enjoyable to hear him accept defeat and say "I know, your mom had to dress me in the beginning too." (remember the post of how we came to be "us"?) I do have faith in my little diva. Here is her first outfit. (she has never wore this combination before by the way;) Not bad:)

She chose her layered heart tee, with her "cuddle me" sweater and her "no boots" (she knows they won't fit nicely in her boots) jeans .

I told her I wanted to take her picture and she automatically posed:)

Yay, for Day 1 for Miayla!

The little things

Wednesdays are my "domestic day". Well, more so than normal. The kiddos are either at school or Kids Day Out so I get the freedom to run in all sorts of directions running errands and getting in and out of stores QUICKLY:) It's my day to remind me that I am 100% a stay at home mom/ trophy wife:) Dinner was normal, no fun food: tater tot casserole, fruit salad in yogurt sauce, and french bread topped off with mini ice cream sandwiches. I say it is no fun, but really the kids scarf it down so it can't be that bad right? Then there was chaos, running, dance parties, buddy baths, bedtimes, and kisses. And now there is nothing but silence. As I sat down to breathe, I looked around and I noticed lots of little things. Normally I would make an extremely unpleasant why-can't-anyone-pick-up-their-stuff noise, but tonight I didn't. Because they are little reminders that even though it is quiet, they are still very much all around me. And all of these caused me to smile. This is what life is all about. I have the privilege of being surrounded by people that love me and a family that is fantastic. Sure, we have our flaws, but it's the imperfections that make it fun. My house will never be clean. I am over it. It will never be a perfect model home or one out of the pottery barn catalog. (although all those fun storage ideas would be AWESOME and if anyone wants to nominate me for a fun make-over, I'll gladly accept:). But it has the marks of a family, and for that I am grateful.

Miayla's guitar because she will be the next T-Swift.

Miayla's song that she wrote (all music notes with stick people) because she

will be the next T. Swift.

A finger puppet and a "school" puppet on the table.
I forgot to mention we also had a puppet show:)

Sawyer's binkie... they are everywhere:)

The kiddos getting tucked in by Cody. They love him

Miayla playing with her new pinwheel that Cody and her bought

on their "date" this past Sunday.

3/5 of my happiness:)

Manic Monday!

So the Ayres Household has had a most exciting Monday! It all started last night. I layed in bed thinking about Monday morning, our SONOGRAM DAY. Then, as always, I started freaking out. What if something is wrong with the baby? what if they were wrong and there are 2? What if we accidentally see more than we want? Then it went to, when was the last time I checked the carbon monoxide detector? Did you lock all the doors? you get the picture, very restless.....OR... mother's intuition:)

At 3:32, I awoke to hear the pitter patter of little patas (feet), then a crash. I sat up in bed and called out to the kids. The pathway from their room to our room is a little lit, so I usually see them coming, except this time, no one was there. I was still startled and scared, so I hit Cody to wake him up. "Babes, i think one of the kids is up, will you check?"

Nothing

Then you hear movement again, and this time, it woke Cody too. He got out of bed and started to walk to the "kids wing" of the house. (really our house is not that big, but we like to pretend). Along the way, he stopped, because we heard noise again, but again no kids.

At this point I had my phone in my hands and 911 dialed, but not calling, secretly wishing all the guns were at a height I could reach them without having to go to the kitchen and get a chair. Because you know, you can call a timeout when an invader is in your home to run to the kitchen and get a chair, then the other room to get the gun!

Anyway, he turned on the hall light, then said "OH MY GOD!!!.......SAWYER?!?!?!"

My heart sank to my stomach.

Something had happened to my sweet baby sawyer.

My world was over.

.............

Turns out no one stole him. Cody turned around and was like "there you are." way too nonchalantly. And sure enough, coming around the island in the kitchen, was Sawyer, just laughing and waddling along. So smiley, but a little hesitant, like "you caught me, crap".

I had seen the recall on drop side cribs, but ours wasn't one recalled. Turns out if technically it wasn't recalled, three babies into it is less than 6 years, was enough apparently.

How he escaped.

Playing and enjoying being kissed and some one on one time with Mommy and daddy who are thanking God that I was not another death statistic even at 4 am:) think this was his last cry for attention before the baby comes? I think he knew about the sonogram appointment...

Speaking of sonogram appointment, here is Baby A 4th.

Perfect. Healthy. Ours.

Here is a wave. Greetings from the womb with a view:)

We didn't find out what the sex was because we never had. You might remember the entry about Cody's motorcycle last year, long story short, the sonogram was wrong. We knew there was a reason we never found out and the tech said even if we wanted to know the baby had it's feet up below the tummy blocking all views so it didn't matter. Which is why I think it is a GIRL. Already non-cooperative:) Even though we didn't find out, we all had our opinions.

Boy, Girl, Boy, Vote for Sawyer, mine was a girl.

Cohen wants a boy because, as he told the tech, "Girls are A LOT of work at our house. Hard to control." Where does he get this? ;)

Miayla wants a SISTER! The entire time cohen was talking, and every time he would say the word "brother", she would sweetly, interject "sister" under her breath.:)

Cody THINKS it's a boy. He knows better than to say what he WANTS:)

Our little signs. Miayla spent the most time on hers... Cody the least. After Sawyer's fiasco last night, he decided he wanted to remain the baby longer, thus voting for himself.

WHAT A DAY! WHAT A LIFE!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

So I, like millions of others are starting out the new year with resolutions. One of those obviously being to update this blog more than a handful of times a year:) Hopefully that will be tons easier with my new laptop that Cody James got me for Christmas!!!! Now I don't have to go down to the unfinished, non-kid friendly, illuminated with ONE light bulb basement to get on the computer. As I type this I am actually in bed, just having been served my second meal in bed for the day, thinking I could get used to this!

I am going to try to do a recap of 2010 over the next few days so look forward to seeing snippets of our lives over the year, it was an amazing year. When I think back on 2010, or even just a year ago, I had a good idea of what the year would hold. I knew that our year would be pretty low key, predictable. I knew that the majority of the year would be dedicated to readjusting our lives around a newborn. It had been over 3 years since a wee one was in our home (to stay), and I figured there would be some sleepless nights, lots of firsts, and enormous amounts of love. I was RIGHT! The love I have felt in this house this past year has been nothing short of phenomenal! I say that Sawyer is by far the most loved little brother ever and I truly believe that:) They wait for him to get up, kiss and chase him all day, and hate when it is time for naps or bed. Their love for him, is such an amazing example of selfless love and a blissful reminder of how I hoped, prayed they would grow up to be.

God is so present in our everyday life and I thank Him for that. So many experiences through-out the day turn into great lessons of compassion, selflessness, and love. Just the other day Miayla and I were at Sams (sawyer was with us too, as always). Anyway, we go to Sams just about every Friday after I pick her up from school, and we get amazing samples (lol) and have pizza for lunch. Being a week before Christmas, this particular Friday Sams was booming. We sat down to eat our pizza. There were no open tables and Miayla noticed a man standing to eat his pizza. I noticed it too. She got up all by herself and moved across from me, which opened the little adjoining table. Then she asked if I could tell that man he could sit there so he wouldn't have to stand. I was taken back!! It was such an amazing gesture for a 4-yr old, that it warmed my heart that cold day. On the way home we talked about it and the story just got better. I asked her why she moved and she said (in Miayla lingo), "that when Joseph and Mary went to that one place there was no room for them, but the inn keeper made room. So I thought that is what Jesus would want me to do. To make room for the guy with his pizza and pepsi pop. But I had you ask him bc I can't talk to strangers.:)" It was a great lesson for not only her, but me as well. Everyday I try to teach them to be more Christ-like, and like most days, they taught me.

Funny how confident I was in 2010 and how UNCERTAIN I am about 2011! We are expecting our 4th child in June and could not be happier!! Although we are ecstatic, so much is in limbo that it is a little scary. It is also ironic that i am more worried about this child's birth, than I was Cohens'! Seven years ago, Cody and I were 20 and 21, about to enter our junior year of college as full time students, both active in our fraternities, Cody on scholarship and an internship, and me knowing I was going to quit the bank after the baby all while living with my parents:) And yet this pregnancy I have more anxiety! I think I was young, silly, and naive:) I know that God WILL lead us through this trying time. I WILL stop throwing up and get out of bed on a regular basis soon (I pray). We WILL find a vehicle that will fit our entire family. We WILL figure out our basement and hopefully make it live able, adding more room, hopefully before the baby arrives. I am not for sure how it will all happen, but I am hopeful it will. Like everything is life, this is God's WILL. I need to remind myself that it is not that God has His head turned during all these struggles, He is simply looking ahead of us, to make sure we will stay protected on our journey. Here is to an exciting, and unpredictable 2011! God's peace!

wow

Has it really been since May since I posted last? I wish I could mentally post each day! wouldn't that be nice, to think about it and the heavens open, the computers hum, and wahlaw, a blog! I mean I talk to myself all the time about what I would blog about. I even take pictures daily and think, "gosh" I can't wait to post about this, but clearly intentions and actions are two separate things! I am not even going to sit here and promise to blog soon. Lord only know if I will, for He is the only one that knows what He has in store for me. So from now on, I am just gonna see what happens. Through multiple events of the past week and much sleep deprivation, I have decided to take life down a notch. Maybe even two notches. We shall see where the road goes from here.

For an update though, we are all still here. Cody is working like crazy and hunting every chance he gets. Cohen is still struggling with life in a walking boot and Miayla is still a princess. Sweet Baby Sawyer is growing faster than ever and it just breaks my heart. With all of them time has gone so fast. Cohen has lost his toddler look and says things that make you step back and question who was that little baby inside of you just 6 years ago?

I don't get on the computer much to be quite honest. It is in a really inconvenient spot in our house and quite frankly, I don't really like the whole, zoned in on everybody all the time feel that you can get from the Internet. Maybe that is why I don't blog all the time or lately at all. who knows really. I think some of has to do with the fact that I am just enjoying the chaos too much to take myself away from it and sit down, away from everybody, and blog to I don't even know who. Life is about the little occurrences. Sure the bigs ones are fun too, but the every days are what we remember, at least I do. And I pray that the kids and Cody do too.