VERA turned 3. (2023)

 

Each year we rotate birthday parties and birthday experiences. This year, we are giving all of the kids experiences instead of a party as we did last year. Vera loves flamingos and giraffes so Ty thought that the zoo would be a perfect day for her.  And IT was!! She got to feed flamingos AND giraffes so it was a perfect day in her eyes. We did have a small gathering also just because she was requesting balloons and cupcakes with a candle. Ha ha. So we invited our friends here in SA over for some snacks and play. Her gift this year was a playground. Since it wouldn't be set up on time (we slacked on ordering the install), they sent a puzzle that she put together and once completed, it showed her what she would be getting in just a few days! 

She was VERY excited. At three, all of the small things are so big in her eyes. I love her at this age. She is by far my most advanced babe. Spoke sentences at 1, potty trained in record time, spells, counts, knows some spanish, witty, sense of humor is on point, ready to learn every day! 

She is complete opposite of Scarlett at this age. Scarlett was all about animals and not very "girly". Vera is all about babies, everything girly, dress-up and princesses. The girl LOVES shoes and shopping as much as I do! She will be my shopping buddy for sure! She loves to put on "her make-up" with me the am and work-out with me whenever she sees me in my workout room. She started preschool this week and has been LOVING it. Not one tear shed, only excitement! She is so much fun right now and I am enjoying all of the toddler stages of Vera Solveig <3

Vera is 2!!!!

 

Two came fast for this little girl. January 29th!! She was all about Frozen this year so we stayed true to that. We just had some neighbors and a couple friends over. Rented a bounce house and a cake... those kids were happier than ever!! Doesn't take much to please these kiddos. They stayed out jumping and sliding on that bounce house for hours!! Vera only got a couple presents for her birthday this year. One was a tricycle that she is obsessed with. I'm trying this new thing with the 3rd kid....lol, giving them less things and more experiences. Ha ha, you live and you learn. We had a great time celebrating our sweet last baby. 

Man, I cannot tell you how hard it is to watch her grow so quickly. I am not sure why it wasn't so hard with the others. Maybe I had an instinct/intuition that there would be more kids? But with Vera, I know she's it. And that makes my heart ache. It's so bittersweet isn't it? I have always been really sentimental over watching my kids grow. But it hits different when it's the "last time". I suppose that is why Vera breastfed the longest. Why I don't push potty training too hard. Why I am ok if she wants to snuggle or read books extra long. Because those days flew. And as my baby disappears and my toddler emerges, I just can't help but mourn those baby days. I'm also very excited to spend some time traveling with my kids. Now that she is a bit older, we can do more. Silver linings. 

Anyhow, miss Vera Solveig had a wonderful and simple 2nd birthday. 

11 Weeks of Vera.

Three months.

We are coming up on....It flew by as I knew it would. I feel like it wasn't long ago that I was writing about Scarlett as a baby and now here I am 3 babies later. Vera is a lot like her sister was. She wasn't a great sleeper. Thankfully I have discovered the Nested Bean Sleep Sack and she has taken to this very well!! She is very happy when she is being held or talked to. I think she likes to be near me even more than Scarlett did. Scarlett was a little more independant. But I don't mind. I love the snuggles of this precious babe even if that means multitasking or sharing my workout time. My Baby Bjorn carrier has come to my rescue and I use that thing daily. It's how I get things done. 

Having Vera has been easier all the way around. Well, besides the pregnancy. I like to think that post baby made up for the terrible pregnancy. I felt like my recovery was so much easier. I felt a lot more confident in my parenting skills. Less anxiety and fear. I just rolled with the flow of things. I didn't expect her to be any certain way and I accepted how things were through each stage. My little caboose baby is such a blessing and so fun to be around. 

Vera smiled very early. Probably earlier than my other two kids. Or from what I recall. She was already laughing a bit at 2 months!!! It amazes me how a growth spurt comes and she literally wakes up doing something new! She loves her baths and watching her siblings play. Loves to be held and is the happiest in the morning after she wakes up. We fill our days with lots of nursing and snuggling, holding and eating more. She also loves to be out and about with us. Although, she is NOT a fan of the car yet. I'm hoping in the next month or so she adapts a bit more to that like my other kids did. She changes so much every day. She still has blue eyes and is in the 90% for her weight and 80% for her height!! I always have big babies. 

It's funny how once you meet your baby, they just fit perfectly into your life and you can't imagine it any other way. As if they were always meant to be filling that space in your life- your heart. Last year I was pretty certain we were done having kids and here I am today with a baby in my arms. I am SO very thankful that this little surprise happened. She is exactly what we needed. Maxwell has just taken to her so well. He kisses her and "protects" her from the doggies. He is probably the one who pays the most attention to her. Which surprised me since Scarlett is such a little mother to her. Yet Maxwell is closer in age and he just can't wait to teach her things. It's amazing to see them attach to her and show her so much love.

Who would have thought my maternity leave would have began like this!? With all of the craziness going on right now, it's hard to say what will happen...Things change daily. But I did already hire a Nanny for her and Maxwell. Maxwell starts Kindergarten this year in August so once he starts going to school with Scarlett, then the baby will be the only one with our new Nanny. I decided to go the Nanny route instead of traditional childcare. There were many reasons for that but I think this fit is best for us in this season. I am sad that family (besides Ty's dad) hasn't gotten the chance to meet her yet. I'm hoping that they will get to see her before she is a year old. 

I am enjoying this stage in life despite the quarantine and despite not being able to travel. It has slowed us down a bit and let us indulge in our kids more than we would normally be able to.