Paitin turns 6!!! (and other stuff)

Our little, lovable Paitin turned 6 today...I have no idea how that happened.  I can remember holding her in my arms for the first time and it seems like only yesterday!  She is such a blessing to our family!

This was from her 1st birthday (May 2007)

And her being silly!

At Disney (November 2009)

So much has happened within the last year.  It seems like she's grown up so much!

She lost her 1st tooth!

 

and started Kindergarten.

Lost her second tooth!

Learned how to dance

Lost her 3rd tooth!

Found out she was going to be a big sister again

Lost her 4th tooth!

Learned how to read 

AND lost her 5th tooth (the day before her birthday).  :)

Paitin is so easy-going, smart, funny, silly, and beautiful.  She was and continues to be a gift from God!

In other news...

The pool opened May 17th and you'd better believe that Scott took the kids to go swimming on May 17th!

Braylee practiced her latest pouncing skills... 

I promise Scott is not flashing some vulgar hand gesture...he's just telling the camera that we'd made it to 8 months!

If you are at all sqeemish, please finish looking at photos here.  :)

This is what my cankles look like daily at this point.  My mom describes them as 'a roll of play-doh with toes'.

And what they look like after Scott has left his thumb print.   Scott has said that he's not worried that my belly will grow more, he's more concerned that my feet are going to pop.  Hah!  We are SO ready to meet this little one so my ankles can resume their normal size. 

I'm due in just under 2 weeks, so we'll post pictures of our 'party of five' very soon!! 

Any and all prayers are welcomed!

~Kristen

May?!

How did that happen?!  And where have I been the last few months?

We are officially 1 month away from d-day (aka due-day) and are SO EXCITED to meet this little girl.  She has been very gentle on me and this is the first pregnancy that I can honestly say 'I would totally have another' if they were all this easy (and if we had double the income).  Scott just croaked at that thought...

"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 is my self-given life verse because I get so anxious about how everything will work itself out.  This verse is a constant reminder of what I should do when those anxieties arrise.  For the last 10 weeks or so, the baby has been measuring big (as in 6 weeks big) and we've had a lot of worries about all the unknowns.  After a very helpful ultrasound yesterday, it looks like we are still pretty much on schedule to deliver late May to early June.  It was awesome to see a healthy baby and to hear her heart beat.  The sonographer could even see her hair!  And, although I don't know everything, I felt  like this was God's way of telling me to just chill out!  He is in control. ALWAYS.

These AMAZING kiddos are what have been keeping me busy...

and, as you can see, Mr. C doesn't get any attention from all three mother hens at all!

We went to Fredrick Meijer Gardens in March to see the butterflies

I truly delight in watching this man with his daughters...he is absolutely smitten (and likewise)!

Best sisters waiting to see the butterflies

Both kids would stand with arms outstretched just waiting for a butterfly to land on them.  So cute!

We participated in the neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  The weather was PERFECT!

As compared to the Easter egg hunt of 2010 when we were freezing.

By the way, where did our babies go?!

The task of filling all 26,000 eggs (a slight exaggeration, maybe it's more along the lines of 300) goes to a different neighbor every year.  This year, before the hunt began, the neighbor in charge told us there was a note in a white egg that deligates next year's fillers.  All the other kids were avoiding the 2 white eggs.  Each of our kids came back with a white egg in their baskets.  Oh joy.

And she was SO proud.  :)

The girls also got to do an Easter egg hunt after an Awesome Easter service with their cousin.  So much fun!

We have been so impressed with everything that Paitin is learning in Kindergarten this year.  She will read to anyone that will sit still (which is usually NOT her sister).

Just this past weekend, Oma surprised the girls with tickets to see "Pinkalicious" at the Civic Theater

And each girl got a cupcake before the show. 

You have never seen so much pink in one place before!

But they loved their first play!

     We feel so blessed to be able to do all the things we do.  The girls are getting so independent, fun and smart, and we look forward to welcoming one more little girl into this crazy mix.  Her parents and sisters are definitely ready to meet her!! 

Praying this finds you well and happy!

~Kristen