Mom and Paternity Leave

It was so nice and definitely needed for my mom and Dan to be home with me and the kids for a while. Thankfully my mom was able to stay for about a week and then Dan had two weeks of paternity leave. It gave me much needed time to rest, try and catch up on sleep and also to look after my other two littles! I was so worried about them! But they were well taken care of. 

My mom sent this picture to us the morning after she arrived and we were already in the hospital! Those smiles were a reassurance that everything was ok at home! We left in such a rush the night before that it was comforting seeing those calm smiling faces! 

While we were in the hospital my mom took the kids to Chuck E Cheese. Its their favorite place and somehow my mom got talked into going there with them! 

Since we didn't spend a lot of time in the hospital we ended up having an extra day at home with my mom! It was so nice to come home to a clean house and happy kids. 

We spent a lot of time cuddling on the couch. 

Playing dolls and Barbies before bed 

There was also a lot of looking at baby and wondering what in the world is going on at our house. 

Dan took the kids to the park a lot and fed the ducks a lot. All so the house could be quite for naps and also so that the kids didn't spend their entire day on some sort of electronic.

June made Kate soup!

Kate's first bath. She hated it! That dang umbilical cord that can't get wet, really hinders a proper bath! 

The mail person came and June helped deliver the packages to our house. 

And of course making friends at the park. 

Kate's first night in her bassinet! She sleeps great in there and stays all bundled up through the night! Or really every two to three hours when she wakes up hungry. 

Kate in her little onesie that Grandma Lancaster gave her for Christmas! And yes, she is seriously adorable!! 

Daddy and his girls. June and Dan are also in their matching bear shirts. That happened a lot over paternity leave too. 

 Owen has been a lost soul since Kate has been born. This kid needs schedule and needs regularity. It being such a crazy two weeks the poor little guy has been struggling with sleep, regressing in being potty trained and just throwing tantrums left and right. But since Dan has gone back to work and we are working on getting back on track he has HIGHLY improved. Thankfully the potty issue is working itself out and we are working on the sleep department. He fell asleep on our bed one afternoon after he refused to take a nap. This never happens and even though I was extremely frustrated with him on this particular day, I couldn't help but lay by him and hold his little hand for a while. I just really love him. 

June was at school and I needed to run some errands so Dan took Owen to the play place for a bit to play. I then met up with them later to play!

Just the fas, hanging out watching a movie 

This little smirk of his just about does me in! He loves going up to her and touching her head and saying  "Oh Kate, Cute! Cute Kate!" 

My mom had taken June to go shopping and Owen wasn't napping so we went for a walk. It felt incredible to get out! My body wasn't super strong at this point, so we didn't go too crazy far, but it still felt good to get out!

Me and my girls 

And my entire world! 

And just a lot of pictures of Kate. I can't help it!! 

We got June some new rain boots and a friend gave us a bunch of clothes that were too small for her daughter. So June was trying on all the clothes. She came out to me like this and I laughed out loud. Especially when she started striking poses! 

And more of Kate 

My view while nursing Kate. They could wrestle for hours! 

They have the most random relationship! They fight constantly but yet when they are apart they miss each other and always ask when they will be home. They play together all the time, but make each other so mad! I love it and hate it! Hahaha classic siblings! 

Snuggles with Daddy 

Good night kisses 

And more of Kate! I am so in love with her chicken legs. 

While my mom and Dan were constantly going and keeping the kids happy, I did a lot of sleeping! It felt so good and it was amazing to know my other two babes were being taken care of and I could really focus on catching up on sleep and taking care of Kate. 

Now Dan is officially back to work. Like officially! We are doing great and working on finding our groove! My biggest fear was getting everyone up and ready to get June to school on time, and today we totally rocked it! I've managed to get Ranger to the groomers and get groceries bought and also played at a play place. I've got this. I know there are bad days to come, but if I can find the balance than we are good. 

I'm still trying to figure out my time management between the kids. June has been struggling a bit with how much time I spend with Kate but not with her. It breaks my heart! So we are working on that. Someone once told me that its the toddlers and little children that need the attention, not the newborn. It's hard because I want to soak in as much as the newborn phase as I can, but I also want to be with my other littles. It's a hard balance. I'll find it. I'm confident in myself, but for now we are just doing what we can and going day to day. It's working and I'm proud of myself!