weeks 2 & 3

We have been so spoiled to have dad home with us the last two weeks. He has gone above and beyond serving our family. One of my favorite things that happens every time he's home for an extended period of time is that the kids really start to get attached to him. When he's at work and only around them for short times every day, they always prefer me to help them or be with them. Whenever Ben tries to step in, they usually have a hard time with it. It's been so awesome to watch both kids attach themselves to him. Ben has an amazing amount of energy, and it's been pretty incredible the amount that they've done the past two weeks.

                                                          

                                                

In addition to lots of fun outings, Ben has served me in so many incredible ways. I've taken a nap and slept in every single morning. He's brought me breakfast in bed almost every day. He's given me lots of mornings with just Levi and I , and helped a ton with keeping the house in a semi cleaned up state. 

Having him go back to work is always the hardest. tear. 

I am always looking for new places to explore. Shortly before Levi was born, I read an article that talked about flower world in Snohomish. It's a HUGE nursery, with beautiful grounds that are great for exploring. There's even a little animal area, although we weren't able to pet any and the kids were a bit dissapointed about that. We also made a quick stop for a GIANT Maltby Cafe cinnamon roll.

Ben and I have been getting a date box delivered to our house every month. The theme for the March box was creativity. We made homemade cake pops and painted canvases. We were accompanied by a sleeping gentleman, but he was very respectful of our time together :)

Ben took Maddie to greenlake to walk around while Colter was at playgroup. 

I got some gassy smiles while they were away.

                                        

We took Levi on his first ferry ride and went to the beach. We have had some seriously gorgeous weather!

My mom gave us a HUGE gift and watched all three kids so we could go out on a date. It felt amazing to get away for a little bit, considering we rarely talk while juggling everything at home right now. 

Ben took the kids on an amazing hike to a waterfall. Ben said it was the highlight of his time off. The kids walked 2 miles. I seriously couldn't believe it! 

Levi had his 2 week weight check and he was up to 8 lb. Not surprising considering how much eating he's doing! He got his 2nd PKU and didn't even cry! What a champ!

I met up with Adelle at Spotted Cow and our sweet boys finally got to meet, carseat to carseat. They snoozed the whole time, and Adelle and I got to actually sit and talk! A rarity when we usually hang out with all of our kids! It's such a miracle to see these boys outside of our bellies and in the world!

Levi got his 2nd bath. His hair is so deliciously fuzzy afterwards. 

I spotted a park that looked neat, while driving through Kenmore recently , so we took the kids there. It was definitely one of my favorite outings in a long time. Wallace Swamp Creek Park is such a hidden gem right in the middle of the city. It has a super easy walking trail, a perfect rock throwing beach, and a beautiful stream. Because it was spring break for schools this week, we were able to play on the elementary school playground that is connected to it. The kids (and us) didn't want to leave!

                               

Ben got the first smile, i'll admit it! 

Classic 3rd child neglect

                                         

The kids had dentist appointments and I was NOT looking forward to it. The last time we were there, Colter and Maddie had a super hard time and barely got exams in. This time, both kids hopped right up to their chairs, laid down, did the full cleaning, flossing, flouride AND xrays. It was amazing. 

During one of my ultrasounds while pregnant detected tht one of Levi's ureters was a bit larger than normal. They wanted to have a follow up ultrasound when he was born to make sure it wasn't getting any larger. Look at this little guy being such a champ during the procedure!

                                        

We got free tickets to the aquarium and met up with the Heavilands, Wornicks, and nana. We looked like a field trip!

During these past two weeks, Levi started to wake up! His naps became much more choppy, he wanted to eat a TON, and he was awake for short periods of time during the day. The nights have become fairly brutal. He doesn't sleep well in any sort of bouncy seat, swing, etc. He seems to like to have his head propped up on a pillow while lying in our bed. He is rarely making it 3 hours before wanting to eat, and he gets really grunty/gassy towards the end of the night, which means it takes 1-2 hours to even get him back to sleep after feeding. Brutal. I know this is just temporary, but boy does it make it hard to function. 

We used up all the newborn diapers, and he fit right into size 1. All of his newborn clothes are very snug and there's several outfits he will never wear. He's a growing dude!

                                               

                                                          

He's still doing really well in the carseat, could it be that we actually have a baby that doesn't scream during car trips? We'll see. I'm not placing any bets yet.