Mother's Day 2019

Each year I get to celebrate this holiday brings me so much joy!  I remember the year's when this holiday brought me sadness wondering if I would ever get to be a mom and here I am with 3 kids!! Each one unique and special, each one came into our family at the perfect time, and each one so incredibly loved and wanted.

This year was so much fun! I started my morning off with coffee and then went out to clean up some of Ragtime's paddock, when spring hits and the weather is nice I have a lot of catching up to do with cleaning up all the poop.  I spent a good amount of time out there and then finally came in, took a shower, and then got ready to go.

We went to Bainbridge Island to check out the Bloedel Reserve, a fantastic garden that has been on my wishlist to visit for years!! We finally made it happen thanks to the agreeable weather = not raining!!  The gardens and landscape was so much better than I imagined.  We got to go on a 2 mile walk around the property, check out the residence, and take in some breathtaking views. Séamus did fantastic in the stroller, the girls were troopers with the walking, and it was all just so very special!!

Once upon a time this was a Sheep Barn.

As usual I wore the ideal walking shoe: birkenstocks 😆 so I had to walk slowly.

Ellie found her favorite flower!

We saw baby ducks and lots of frogs and dragonflies.

There were Oxalis all over and we talked about fern fronds.

Never could I have imagined how good this life as a mom was going to be!

I got so much inspiration from here and cannot wait until we move (who knows when that will be) and to implement some of these beautiful ideas into our next property.

This was at the "Christmas Pond" and probably my favorite area of the whole property.

Once we left Bloedel we drove into town for lunch.  My first choice ended up being a Bar and since our kids are under 21 we had to go somewhere else.  My second choice was only offering a Brunch Buffet which was not what I was hoping to eat.  So my third choice was across the courtyard and we ended up at a Thai restaurant.  We chose to skip the wait and eat outside which was just perfect.  It got a little chilly but it was great with the kids and the mess of rice they made.  Our food was delicious and we were sitting right at the harbor which was so cool!

After lunch we went to a super cool park for the girls to run around and play.  All three kids got to go on the swings and Ellie made a friend, so she was off playing whatever it is kids play these days.  Finnley loved wandering around and checking out all the things.  Thomas and I got to sit on a bench with Séamus and just soak up all the parenting goodness and chatting.

Once we were done with the park we made our way home.  We stopped for Ice Cream on the way, the kids fell asleep so I went in and got all the ice cream: two waffle cones, Guinness Ice Cream for Thomas and Salted Caramel Ice Cream for me, and two cups of Vanilla with Sprinkles for the girls.  I wish I got a photo of my carrying all four ice creams - skillz y'all! We woke up the girls and they were so pleased to have ice cream shoved in their faces.  We finally got home and I got changed and made my way out to work with Ragtime and ride her as well.  It was an absolutely spectacular day and I felt so loved.  Ellie kept telling me it was my special day and she was just the sweetest!!

I hope you had a special day celebrating the mom in your life!

♥ Ashley

The Séamus Weekly - week 41

How on earth are we past 40 weeks already?!! I have to tell you that the 40 weeks that Séamus was on the outside were so much better than the 40 weeks he was on the inside.  I shared a bit about my thoughts on pregnancy after infertility here, it's raw but it's my experience.

Eats: Séamus is becoming more and more into eating all the real foods...which is so great!  He can get lots of different food into his mouth but seems to really enjoy graham crackers and pretzels. We are still nursing throughout the day though some of our nursing sessions he is quite the acrobat 😳.



Sleeps: sweet boy is sleeping through the night!! my boobs are so full in the morning but it's totally worth it! He usually joins us around 5am for that early morning feed and then back to sleep for another hour or so in our bed.  Love him so much.  He's been doing most of his naps in the car and then falling asleep on the boob before being transferred at night.

Does: Séamus is standing all the time, pulling up on everything, and cruising like it's his job!  He sits, loves the bathtub, and will not lay still on the change table despite all the distractions.  He is blowing raspberries and is beginning to mimic us!! He yells when Finnley yells and its the cutest thing ever!

Goes: we had the girls together party with my side of the family at my grandparents place and it was so fun getting to see all the cousins together playing and being maniacs.  All Séamus wanted to do was keep up with the big kids and crawled all around everywhere.  We also made a trip to the mall to go to the Disney Store and out for "dump-a-lings" as Ellie calls them.  Nanny came out for a visit to watch the littles while I showed my horse to someone and then we went out for ice cream after Ellie was done with school!

Mama: I am focusing on soaking up all the goodness with this sweet boy.  A part of me wonders what it would be like if we had a 4th...maybe I would feel differently about pregnancy if I experienced it again? But then I am so over this baby/infant stage and don't want to do it a fourth time, because it is HARD!!! I love it but I love it more as we reach each new stage and milestone 😉. I am learning more about the Enneagram, listening to podcasts, and just practicing my word of the year and embracing everything I can as much as I can.  I feel really good.  I feel really solid.  I also feel really hungry most of the time 😆.

Sisters: Oh My Word these girls are in love with their brother!  Finnley really is the best sister to a baby. She is concerned about his whereabouts all the time, is constantly "saving" him from who knows what and bringing him back to me (even when I tell her to leave him be He's happy and fine), and she brings him all the toys somehow knowing exactly what it is he wants!!  Ellie helps me to get him out of the car, also carries him away from predicaments, and is so loving and caring for him.  I am so lucky to have 3 children who are growing up together and building friendships with each other.  It takes a lot of work but when I see it happening it's all worth it!

Previous Weeks

Séamus week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, week 6, week 7, week 8, week 9, week 10, week 11, week 12, 13 weeks, week 14, week 15, week 16, week 17, week 18, week 19, 20 weeks, week 21, week 22, week 23, week 24, week 25, week 26, week 27, week 28, week 29, week 30, week 31, week 32, week 33, week 34, week 35, week 36, week 37, week 38, week 39, week 40

Finnley at 41 weeks
Ellie at 41 weeks

♥ Ashley

The Séamus Weekly - week 40

Happy May Day!! I've got some friends coming over today to plant some flowers and the weather sounds like it's going to just be perfect!

We've hit it, just five more days and this little boy will be on the outside as long as he was cooking on the inside.  So mind blowing how much he has changed over the past 40 weeks.  He's crawling, laughing, standing, feeding himself, getting into everything, and sleeping! It's just incredible how much these babes change and grow over their first year of life...and we have just 12 weeks to go and he will be ONE!! like how is that even going to happen?

Sweet boy had his monthday and turned 9 months old!! Time sure is flying.  We had his well baby check up and he is still clocking in the 1% for weight and nearly that for his height, so he is just a petite little guy.  Once again we had the conversation with the pediatrician about his weight and while he gave me some very strange feeding suggestions - no I will NOT be feeding my 9 month old six Tablespoons of Olive Oil, he did finally see that this is just Séamus and his curve and seems to be satisfied.  So we're just going to keep on doing what we've been doing, maybe a little more intentional with what solids we are giving him.

Eats: little Séamus is all about the boob and the food.  He loves it when Finnley gives him pretzels and graham crackers, he loves pasta, bread, and beans. cake, puffs, and rice.  Pretty much he eats whatever we give him like chips and hummus or avocado, sausage and other meats too.  He still loves the boob and has been trying out all sorts of new nursing positions which I am less than thrilled about 😁. He still snacks all throughout the day so I feel like my supply is still enough.

Sleeps: eek, I almost don't want to share because I don't want to jinx anything but Séamus has been sleeping almost 8-9 hours at night!  It has been so amazing.  I still woke up a couple of times in a slight panic because...where was he?? 😂 and with some very full boobs.  I learned that you produce milk based on the demands of the previous 24 hours so now that he isn't nursing in the middle of the night, I'm not as full in the morning.   He still naps a few times a day, mostly in the car but occasionally in his crib.  I have been working on getting him to fall asleep on his own and if he is tired enough it works great, other times he just doesn't want to miss the action.

 

 

Does: he is cruising!!! Just a little bit at a time but he is doing it and it is so much fun.  He loves to play in the girls room, tries to put all the things in his mouth, and is seriously so so happy.  He claps his hands and feeds himself and it is all just the best ever!

 

 

Goes: Thomas left us all alone on Friday night to go to a Fly Fishing event with his dad so it was just me and the three kids Friday afternoon through Saturday evening.  I met a friend for lunch on Friday after Finnley and Séamus doctor appointments and it was so fun to catch up! I had some friends over on Saturday for a Make & Take and we had so much fun!! We made Perfume Rollers and Body Butter with Essential Oils.  We made a trip to Trader Joe's (always my favorite) and then all the regular places: the library, store, schools, and just driving around.

Mama: my heart is so incredibly full.  Spending over 24 hours with just me and the kids was so good, a bit of a challenge for bedtime since Séamus usually nurses to sleep and Thomas gets the diffusers ready in the bedrooms and he also gets the girls into their jams (who am I kidding? he gets Séamus ready too).  So figuring out how to get that all done was a trip, but we made it and everyone slept in. I mean if you consider 6:15 sleeping in 😆.  I also had a couple people come look at my horse but she just wasn't the right fit for them so we are still on the lookout for the perfect home for her.

Sisters: these two sisters are my favorites ever!  They are so loving, kind, funny, and push our buttons all the time.  Ellie says the funniest things and Finnley is just a goof.  I am always wondering how Finnley knows how to be so funny, I guess she just knows.  Ellie is the sweetest and is really trying to stretch her independence.  I love seeing her growing up and taking on new roles, though it is so incredibly hard for me to let go of control.  We got the trampoline up for the girls and they are having a blast with the beautiful weather we've been having going outside and playing on the swing sets and jumping on the Trampoline.  Finnley is doing so great in school, her teachers tell me she is very quiet and is the observer.  I just adore getting to see her out on the playground when I come to pick her up and seeing her doing her thing.  She loves to sing songs.  Her favorite right now is the Hands Clap song and I am quite impressed with the amount of lyrics she knows!  Ellie just wants to color and draw and craft all the things.  She is improving so much on her sight words and can read some of her books to us which is just so so cool.   She is spirited and friendly and is obsessed with Unicorns right now. So much fun.

 Previous Weeks:

Séamus week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, week 6, week 7, week 8, week 9, week 10, week 11, week 12, 13 weeks, week 14, week 15, week 16, week 17, week 18, week 19, 20 weeks, week 21, week 22, week 23, week 24, week 25, week 26, week 27, week 28, week 29, week 30, week 31, week 32, week 33, week 34, week 35, week 36, week 37, week 38, week 39

Finnley at 40 weeks

Ellie at 40 weeks

♥ Ashley