happy 2 months, krew!

Krew is 2 months old today!  He is growing so fast, and changing every day.

 He's starting to smile a lot and sleeping quite well at night.  There have been a few nights this past week where he slept 7 or more hours in one stretch, ate and went back to sleep for a few more hours!   






























The most common comment we get from others when they see him is something about "all that hair!"  He certainly doesn't look like a 2 month old with so much hair and those big chubby cheeks!

He is so much fun, and we all feel so happy that he has joined our family!

merry christmas! (2011 "christmas letter")

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

This year I have had to simplify some things.  With a new baby in our home (not to mention two almost-six-year olds), I just don't have enough time or energy to do all the Christmas-y things I want to this year.  So I decided that anything that didn't help create Christmas memories for my kids, or teach them about the true meaning of Christmas, was out this year.  I didn't bake a variety of goodies to take to my friends and neighbors (store-bought gifts for them this year), I didn't put up all my Christmas decorations (don't worry-the house still looks very festive), and I'm not printing and mailing Christmas cards this year (consider this your Christmas card!)

I had to remind myself that Christmas will come again next year, but my tiny baby is already not so tiny, and I'd rather spend my time snuggling with him and getting excited about each sound he makes, and each smile he gives me, than worrying about some of the less important details of this Christmas season. 

But, if I had sent out a Christmas letter, this is what it would have looked like:
(click on the links for more info about each event)
This year has been a wonderful one! 

In January, Bart started a new job.  He was sad to say good-bye to his job working as an Otolaryngology PA, but also excited to start working in a family practice clinic, where 90% of his patients are Spanish-speaking.  He is loving being able to use his Spanish, work in family medicine, and he especially loves his pediatric patients.  I love that he no longer takes call, and only works until noon on Fridays!

After nearly two years of trying, March brought us the news that we were finally expecting baby #3!  We couldn't have been more excited!  Soon followed the fatigue and morning/all-day sickness, but let me tell you that it is way easier to be pregnant with one baby than with two, and I really enjoyed being pregnant.  Luckily I was starting to feel better by the time Kade and Ky got out of school for the summer, so I had enough energy to keep up with them!

Kade and Ky were on their first sports team this spring.  They played soccer and had a great time.  It's so fun watching 5 year-olds play soccer!  They played so hard and had such a good attitude.  They haven't decided if they want to play soccer again, so we'll have to see what this spring brings.

In May, Bart had a PA conference in Las Vegas, so I decided to tag along so we could have one last getaway before the baby came.  We ate lots of yummy food, saw a Cirque du Soleil show, and were amazed at the oddity that is the Las Vegas strip!  It was a great trip and will hopefully hold us over until we are able to get away just the two of us again some day!

In August we all went to Iowa on vacation.  We were able to see lots of Bart's extended family and it was nice to be able to reconnect with them.  We spent one day at Adventureland, playing and the water park and going on lots of rides.   We ended our trip by spending a day at the Iowa State Fair, where Kade and Ky won a ribbon in the Most Alike 5 year old category at the Twins, Triplets and More contest.

In September, Kade and Ky started Kindergarten!  It's all-day here, and was a huge adjustment for them and for me.  I suddenly had 7 hours to myself!  I filled my days working on projects to decorate the nursery, and tried to rest my ever-expanding body. After about a month Ky and Kade decided that they like school, and they are really excelling.  They even meet with the gifted and talent teacher for reading once a week.  Now they love to go to school and have made lots of friends there.

Perhaps my favorite single day of the year was October 28th, when baby Krew was born!  He has been such a sweet addition to our family and we are all in love with him!  Kade and Ky are such good brothers and help me with the baby so much.  Krew is a really good baby, and usually only cries when he's hungry or has a burp stuck (he's a very spit-upy baby!).  He's growing way too fast, which makes me sad, but this time around I know that there are so many fun stages ahead, that it's okay to let him grow up!

This year we feel that we have so much to be thankful for!  Our Heavenly Father has watched over us and taken care of us, and it's nice to be able to take some time this Christmas Season to think about Him and the ultimate gift He gave us, the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ. May the true spirit of Christmas be with you and yours this holiday season!

Love,

Bart, Ashli, Ky, Kade, and Krew

visit with santa and mrs. claus

 Santa and Mrs. Claus came to our house early this year!  Bart's parents dressed up and came as Santa and Mrs. Claus to our church Christmas party.  It was so fun to see Kade and Ky's reactions when Santa walked into the gym, and then to watch them as they realized it was grandpa.  Then when I said, "No, that's not grandpa it's Santa,"  you could see the wheels turning in their heads as they tried to figure out what to think about who this guy was!  By the time they came to our house afterward though, they were pretty convinced that it was grandma and grandpa.

We also got Krew's first pictures Santa.  He wasn't very happy about it, but I don't think it had anything to do with who was holding him so much as the fact that I woke him up for the photo op.

Merry Christmas!!

one month already!

My sweet, tiny baby is one month old already!  How did that month go by so fast?  It's amazing to me how much Krew has already changed.  He's outgrown quite a few of his newborn clothes and is already too big for newborn diapers.  His face looks much less like a newborn and he has a cute, pudgy little belly.  (So much different than my tiny newborn twins were!)

I am so loving this newborn phase and I don't want it to go by so quickly.  I love that when I hold him, he feels like a warm ball of dough.  I love the way the top of his head smells.  I love all his little tiny parts.  I love watching him fall asleep in my arms.  I love all the funny faces he makes, like smiling in his sleep, his "bird face" ( this is what we call it when he goes cross-eyed and puckers his lips at the same time.  Kade had the same great bird face.), the face he makes when he hears daddy and I can tell he is listening intently.  I love his awesome hair!  I love how hard he arches his back when he is sleepy. I love how in love with him his brothers are. I love the feeling I get when I think about how long we waited for him to come to our family, and the fact that now he is actually here! 

Happy one month birthday, Krew!  You are such a blessing to our family!

thankful

Thankful:

Yesterday's tryptophan induced snooze 

Thankful, Thankful:

At IHOP on the last day of "two sons and mom"

Thankful:

enough said





The above three pictures are evidence that I have been so blessed and I have so much to be thankful for.  Sometimes I can't believe that I have everything I always wanted, and I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and is taking care of me.  He has given me so many things, but these are the four that I couldn't live without. 

"Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love" ~Thomas S. Monson



more of krew's first days

Krew is already 2 1/2 weeks old, and growing so fast!  Looking back at these pictures taken during his first few days of life, makes me realize how fleeting this newborn stage is.  Luckily, I am so enjoying having a newborn this time around.  I always said I felt like I got robbed of the newborn phase with Kade and Ky because two newborns is just too hard.  But this time around I'm loving this phase, with all its newness, wonder, snuggling, pajamas-all-day, watching this new baby change every day.

It was so fun watching Kade and Ky meet their baby brother the first time.  These pictures show really well how fascinated they are with him, and how proud they are to be big brothers.

 Within the first few minutes after he was born, Bart noticed that Krew inherited his mommy's webbed toes.  I think it's pretty special-evidence that this is my baby!

krew's first day home

Last Sunday, Oct. 30th, we were able to bring Krew home. Our first day together as a family of five was perfect and something that I will always cherish. I had thought that I would want to spend as much time in the hospital being taken care of as possible, but when Sunday morning came, I was ready to go home. I missed Kade and Ky and I was excited for us all to be home together. Plus, I knew they were dying to have mommy (and Krew) home again.



We got Krew all ready to come home.  He did not like his car seat, and this is the only picture I could get where he wasn't screaming. 

When we pulled in the driveway we saw this cute welcome home sign that Kade and Ky made (with a little help from uncle Bret and aunt Charise). 

First, we were able to spend a little bit of time visiting with Bret and Charise who had stayed with Kade and Ky while we were in the hospital.

We were able to take our first family picture as a family of five!  Don't I have the most adorable guys in my life?!

Ky and Kade took turns holding their new baby brother.  They loved this.  They would hold him for a long time, and just look at him.  It was so neat watching them fall in love with their baby brother.  And they have been super big brothers.  They are constantly asking if there is anything they can do to help take care of Krew,  and they get really concerned if he is crying.  It's going to be so awesome watching these three boys grow up together!

That evening we carved pumpkins.  This was the first year that Kade and Ky have really been excited about helping and designing their own pumpkins.

I think they turned out pretty good!

We ended the night setting off some fireworks in honor of Krew and his coming home to join our family.  I love fireworks, and watching them while holding my brand-new baby, thinking of how long we waited for him, and what a precious miracle and blessing from heaven he is, was such a special moment. 

baby krew is here!

Introducing Krew Adam Miller!

Our sweet little boy was born Friday, October 28, 2011 at 8:03pm.  He weighs 7 lbs. 8oz. and is 21 inches long.  We are so happy to have him in our family, and we couldn't be more in love with him!

First "smile"

my baby shower!

Last Thursday my friends Greta and Bryn threw me the most amazing baby shower! It had an argyle theme to perfectly match the baby's room (pictures of that to come shortly).  Also, the food theme was, "cinnamon."  Many of you know that Bart is allergic to cinnamon so I don't bake with it at home.  So, especially this time of year when all the yummy fall treats have cinnamon, I start to feel like I'm missing out.  So, these cute girls filled my baby shower with lots of delicious cinnamon-y goodies.  It was all so yummy!

We played two fun games that night.  The first one, everyone took a paper plate and a crayon.  They placed the plate on top of their head and had to draw what they thought my baby would look like.  Then, I got to look at all of them and pick the one I liked the best.  They were so hilarious that I was nearly crying I was laughing so hard.  (You can see me laughing behind Bryn in the following photo).

For the next game, Bryn had placed little baby items in ten different paper sacks.  Then we each had to feel the items without opening the bag and guess what was inside.  I got all ten right!!  I must be amazing or I've just spent the last several months looking at baby items trying to get ready for our little guy to come.

After games it was time to open presents.  Everyone was so generous and gave such nice gifts.  The whole time I was opening the gifts, I was barely holding my emotions in check.  I couldn't believe that after all this time, after all the waiting, and heartbreak, and tears, that I was having a baby shower!  I didn't know if I would ever get to open a gift with a tiny outfit inside again, and it was all I could do to hold back the tears.  It helped that each and every gift was so fun, that they made me smile and ooh and aah!

My friend Bryn made this adorable yarn and argyle "K" that perfectly matches the nursery.  It makes me excited to finish taking pictures of all the cute details in the baby's room and post them here.  And yes, his name is going to start with a K, just like his older brothers.

doctors in training

Last week we took Kade and Ky to a class at the hospital called, "Big Kids and New Babies." It was a class to help kids know a little about what to expect when a new baby joins the family. There was a really silly video for the kids to watch about how they might feel when the baby comes, and what the new baby can and can't do. Each child was supposed to bring a stuffed animal or a doll, so my boys came prepared with their teddy bears. The teachers showed them how to hold a baby, how to burp a baby, how to swaddle a baby, and how to put on a diaper. They practised all these things, and were so proud of themselves when they were able to put the little diaper on their bears. Then we got to take a tour of the labor and delivery floor so they could see where mommy is going to have the baby. Then, they got to decorate a bib for the new baby.
It was really fun to hear the comments they made about their little brother coming, and since that day, I have seen them practicing some of the things they learned. For instance, the other day they found an empty toilet paper tube and were trying to put some of their toys through the tube. The teacher said if the toy fits through the tube, then it is too small for the baby. So, it was cute to see them trying to figure out at home which toys they could share with their brother and which ones they couldn't.
I can't wait for this little guy to join our family, and I'm excited to see Kade and Ky as big brothers!

35 weeks!

I can't believe I am 35 weeks! We are definitely in countdown mode at this point! We have been working so hard getting the nursery ready (pics to come soon!) and getting out all of Kade and Ky's old newborn clothes, purchasing things like a stroller and car seat, diaper bag, bouncy seat, diapers and wipes. I finally feel like if our little guy were to come soon, I would feel mostly ready. I'm amazed at how good I feel at this point. First, let me just say that it is so much easier being pregnant with one baby than it is being pregnant with two! Second, with as sick and tired as I was the first trimester, and most of the second trimester, I was worried that I was going to feel gross the whole pregnancy, but the past couple of months I have had more energy than I expected. Sure, I feel completely run-down by about 6:00 every evening, but even still I can't complain. Also, I am a tad bit worried, because I know how active and loud and rambunctious my other two boys are, and this little guy is already so wiggly I'm afraid he might be even more rambunctious than his brothers are. If so, our house is going to be crazy and LOUD! But we are so excited for this little one to join our family. We have waited so long for him, and we just can't wait to meet him!

two little piggies!

Yesterday morning the boys were on the front porch waiting for the bus and talking to me through the window screen. It wasn't long before they started making piggy faces and I'm super glad I had my camera handy. Aren't my little piggies adorable?