Three of a Kind

In case you were wondering if my kids look the same, here is a picture of Brynlee and Annalyn at two years old and there is another picture of all of my girls from when they were newborn babies. They each have their own look but you can tell they are sister. They grow up so fast. 

A Princess Water Slide Birthday

Brynlee has been talking about the princess water slide birthday that she wanted for months. All of her talk inspired Joel to create a water slide by converting the pink castle he made last year for Brynlee's birthday into a water slide. It wasn't ready in time for her actual birthday which is just as well. It was kind of cold that day and since little Kyla was only 10 days old I was in no way ready to plan and host a birthday party. Joel and Brynlee did make a butterfly birthday cake with Annalyn's help for her actual birthday and some of my family came over to eat it with us. Joel made the form for the butterfly out of aluminum foil and he stuck it on a piece of cardboard covered in aluminum foil and baked it in the oven. Joel is a better cake decorator than me. It turned out pretty cool.

Joel finished the princess water slide just a few days after Brynlee's birthday and he tested it out first. The slide went pretty fast. Brynlee had a blast the first time she went down but then she hurt her finger and got a tiny cut so she ran in the house and put her clothes back on. Annalyn was still up to try it and she went down that slide for hours. She had so much fun. Eventually she even convinced Brynlee to go back out there and Joel and both the girls had a blast out on that thing. Annalyn was pretty cautious when she went down. She held onto the side and went really slow so that is what Brynlee did too. Joel decided the slide went a little bit too fast for the little kids so he decided to make it about a foot smaller. He also added a lot more sand to make the landing softer. The kids tested the slide out the next day and it worked much better.

At the last minute I decided to let Brynlee invite a few friends over to play in the water slide with her on Saturday to make it kind of like a mini birthday party. We had started to make a pinata per Brynlee's request before Kyla was even born and Brynlee really wanted to put candy in that thing and have a birthday party. Two girls from church and Brynlee's cousin Ryder all came over and they all had a great time playing on the water slide. Brynlee painted her pinata with Annalyn's help that morning and after the kids got tired of playing in the water we decorated a candy bag and did the pinata. Everyone got two hits before it was busted open. We made some cupcakes and had ice cream and then it was time to go home. It was really just the perfect way to celebrate Brynlee's fourth birthday. We will probably leave the slide up all Summer so the kids can enjoy it. I think Joel had as much fun going down it as the girls did. If you are in the area come try it out, it is lots of fun

Brynlee is 4!

Where has the time gone? My little girl is turning four! She is such a bright, smart, funny and independent little girl. She still loves clothes and all things girly and sparkly. She loves to watch shows on TV and she loves to play outside. She gets along really well with Annalyn and she is great at helping her, although she gets quite jealous of her. She has been a huge help with little Kyla this last week and a half as well. She loves to go and get the diapers and her favorite thing is to pick out Kyla's outfits. In just the last few months she has learned how to write her name, she can open and close the van door, and she can buckle her own seatbelt. Here is a brief look at how much Brynlee has grown in the last four years. This is her as a newborn, at 6 months, at 1 year, at 2 years, at three years, and at four years. 

BRYNLEE FACTS QUOTES AND STORIES

Age: 4

Favorite Color: Pink

Favorite Movie: Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Cinderella, and Snow White

Favorite Show: Doc McStuffins, Littlest Petshop

Best Friends: Anavette and Josie

Favorite thing to do: Play with my littlest Petshop

Favorite thing to do outside: Play with my friends

Favorite Food: Chicken Nuggets

Favorite Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Favorite game: Hide and Go Seek and Duck Duck Goose

Favorite animal: Giraffes and Zebras

Favorite book: The baby book

Favorite thing to do with your family: Nothing

What she wants to be when she grows up: A ballerina

The other day I made the girls some hotdogs and I put them on a piece of bread with some cheese and ketchup. Brynlee ended up taking her hotdog out of the bread and she just ate the bread, cheese and ketchup in a little sandwich. Apparently she thought that was really good because she then asked for another Ketchup and cheese sandwich. Now whenever we go to get sandwiches Brynlee wants hers with just ketchup and cheese. 

Both of the girls have had a cold lately. These are some of the conversations we have had recently. 

B: "Mom, my nose just keeps growing all of these boogers and I have to pick them and then I just eat it." 

Dad: "Annalyn, why is your finger in your nose? Are you trying to find something in there."

B: "Yeah dad, she is trying to find some boogers so she can eat them."

One of Brynlee's favorite words lately is "jealous." As she was painting my toenails the other day she kept exclaiming, "Dad is gonna to be so jealous. He is going to be so jealous of your pretty toenails." As soon as Brynlee saw little Kyla she kept talking about how jealous her friends would be of her new baby sister. 

Brynlee is very independent and has taken to making her own meals and getting her own treats. The other day I went to go and make dinner only to find Brynlee and Annalyn sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal that Brynlee got for both of them. On another occasion I found her taking a melted popsicle out of the microwave. Brynlee thought it was too cold so she tried to warm it up in there. 

One day I walked into the kitchen and I found Brynlee mashing up a banana in a big bowl of milk. Apparently she wanted some banana bread. She asked me to put her bowl in the oven but I told her she would need some flour and a few more ingredients before that would turn into banana bread. Annalyn really wanted to help Brynlee so the next thing I knew, both of the girls were sitting up at the table with a bowl making some banana bread. When Joel got home he helped them add a few more spices and things and then he put them in a muffin tin and we cooked them. I don't know that I would recommend Brynlee's recipe but we all ate some warm banana flavored muffins with our dinner that night. 

I think it was probably a mistake to encourage Brynlee to make that banana bread because the next day she was at it again. This time she wanted to make pudding but she used the strangest ingredients. In one of my big bowls she had a lot of milk, a crushed up peanut butter cracker, some fruit snacks, some fried onions, and a few other things I couldn't identify. She put her bowl in the oven and tried to get me to cook it but I refused. When Joel got home from work she brought her creation out to show him but Joel wouldn't eat it. He told her she had to eat it first but she wouldn't eat it either. Brynlee went and got a straw and handed it to Annalyn. Annalyn took a huge swig and made the funniest face. She clearly didn't like it. When we asked her if it was good she still nodded her head and said, "umm hmmm." When we asked her if she wanted anymore she was really quick to shake her head no. We threw the rest of it away. 

My mom came over the other day and discovered that there was a dead bird in the grill of her car. As soon as Brynlee heard this she ran out and got in grandma's car. She was very disappointed when she couldn't find that bird. I told her she didn't need to see it but eventually she discovered where the bird was and she went out and looked at it for a long time. My mom decided to drive to the edge of our property to go and knock the bird off. We could still see her but that didn't stop Brynlee from crying hysterically. "Come back here grandma. Please come back. Don't leave me grandma." I explained to Brynlee what grandma was going to do and then Brynlee got reallly upset. "Not the bird," she cried. "I liked that pretty bird. That poor beautiful bird," she wailed. She cried so loud that the neighbor came over to make sure everything was all right. This girl knows how to make a scene. 

We had to be somewhere early one morning so I was rushing trying to get the kids out the door. Brynlee got herself dressed that morning. When we arrived at our destination and I got Brynlee out of the car I discovered that she was wearing two different shoes. Apparently she could only find one of her pink tennis shoes so she just wore her pink snow boot on her other foot. This is not the first time she has done this so you would think I would pay more attention. It didn't seem to bother her so oh well. 

I can tell Brynlee is the oldest child because lately she has been very bossy. She likes to tell everyone what to do and correct people, even adults. The other day Brynlee had a friend over and I had to run out to the garage to get something. I told Brynlee what I was doing and she looked at her friend and Annalyn and said, "don't worry mom, I will take care of these too."

Just the other day Brynlee told me that she was really brave and really strong and she told me that it would be all right if I left her home alone with Annalyn and the baby because she could take care of them. "What will you do it the baby gets hungry," I asked. "Well," Brynlee responded, "I would just feed her... my boobies." Great plan Brynlee. 

The first day Brynlee saw me after I had baby Kyla she looked at me and asked, "do you have a boy baby in your tummy now?" I told her I didn't and so she excitedly exclaimed, "another girl." I tried to explain that it would take a while for my tummy to look the normal size and she just said, "oh, well it still looks like you have a baby in your tummy." Thanks Brynlee. 

Brynlee really loves her baby sister but she thinks she can do way more with her than she can. The other day I went to put Annalyn down for a nap and I left Brynlee playing. Kyla was in her little bouncer when I left but when I came back she was not there. Brynlee had picked her up and set her on top of her little blue table. As soon as Brynlee saw me she looked at me and said, "I was so careful, I was really careful mom." Little Kyla didn't even wake up through the whole thing. That baby just isn't safe anywhere in this house. 

Brynlee really is such a sweet and fun little girl. She sure has brought a lot of fun and adventures into this house. We love this her a lot. Happy Birthday Brynlee!

Baby Kyla

Kyla Mae Hirtle officially joined our family on Wednesday June 4th at 5:35 am. She weighed 8lbs even and she is 21(3/4)in long. She looks a lot like her older sisters. She already has some nice chubby cheeks and some nice dark hair. Most of her hair is in the back but she has a good amount on the top. She has been a great little eater and she is a good sleeper and a really good crier. I think she has had some tummy issue. Brynlee and Annalyn love her and are constantly asking to hold her. We all think she is pretty cute and we love her a lot. 

Before Kyla was born, I felt a lot of pressure and a few contractions, but nothing that would really indicate that labor was coming. I went to an appointment with my midwife on Tuesday morning (June 3rd) and everything looked good. They don't check you or anything so I really had no idea when she would come. Kyla was due on June 5th and Annalyn was two days early so I was really hoping she would come a few days early. After my doctor's appointment I went and helped my aunt pick some strawberries and we got to see my grandma who had just returned from her trip to Australia. Then we went home and I went to bed. 

Joel stayed up late watching a movie that. He regretted that decision later that night. I woke up around 12:15 with my first contraction. It was a really painful one. At about 1 in the morning I started timing them and they were about 7 minutes apart. I was told to call the midwife when they were 3 minutes apart so I figured I had a while. I didn't wake Joel up for another hour. My contractions were still sporadic but they were ranging from 1-3 minutes apart and they were anywhere from 10 seconds to 1 minute long. Most of them were very painful so we went ahead and called Joel's mom to come watch our girls (This was at 2:30 a.m.) and we got ready to go. Brynlee woke up so see what all the commotion was about and she was really excited. I am surprised Joel got her to go back to bed. Joel's mom showed up really quickly so we headed out the door. 

When I called my midwife at 3 in the morning, she told me they liked to see the contractions coming in more consistently and lasting for about a minute each time. I told her we wanted to come in anyways so she told us to meet her at the birthing center. The whole ride there I was then thinking we had jumped the gun and that I would be in labor for a long time. We got to the birthing center at 3:30 in the morning. My midwife checked all of my vitals and checked on baby. She came back and checked on the baby every 15 minutes or so. My contractions were still pretty sporadic even an hour later but they hurt a lot more. At this point I was really questioning why I decided to do this without an epidural. At the same time that I was dealing with all of these contractions, Joel was also in pain with some really bad gas. I don't know what his deal was but he was not feeling very well either. He was still very supportive and helpful but he stunk up the whole room and he had me running for the bathroom.  That was the first time I have ever thrown up during labor. I also had really bad heartburn so my midwife brought me some medicine to help with it. Eventually I got into the bathtub and that seemed to bring some relief. I still hadn't decided if I wanted to do a water birth but I needed something to ease the pain. I don't think I was in the tub for very long when I felt like pushing. It hurt a lot. I have no idea how long I pushed, it didn't seem long at all but eventually the head came out and then I got to hold my beautiful little girl. Her cord was really short so I had to be careful. The pain and the emotions of going through natural childbirth is totally indescribable but so is the complete joy and happiness of holding that newborn baby and knowing that the pain was totally worth it. It was so much harder than I imagined it would be but I am glad I did it. I am mostly just grateful that she came so quickly. I was only in labor for a little over 5 hours and I was only at the birthing center for 2 hours before she came. 

I got out of the bathtub before I delivered the placenta and Joel got to cut the cord. Then I nursed the baby right away. After that they came in and weighed and measured her. They did everything right there so we could watch. I loved that I didn't have to send her to the nursery without me. We had to fill out some paperwork and they gave Kyla her shots while I held her and they told us we could go home whenever we wanted. We left around 9 that morning. I tried to take a little nap there but I was really hungry so I decided to just go home and take a nap. Not to mention I was worried about my other girls since we couldn't get ahold of them. We called my family and told them the news but we couldn't get ahold of Joel's mom, and she was home with our girls. We stopped for some breakfast on the way home and ate in the car and then we walked into the house. I think Joel's mom was shocked to see us. She thought they had sent us home without having the baby at first. The girls were overjoyed at seeing the baby. Brynlee ran to the other room to get some shoes for the baby as soon as she realized that she didn't have any shoes on. She has had so much fun trying to dress this baby up. Joel's mom didn't get to stay for long. I don't think she got very much sleep either because she ended up with both of our girls trying to sleep on the couch with her. 

Everything was so intense and fast with the delivery that I didn't even think to take any pictures until we were almost ready to leave. Joel took three days off of work and he has been a huge help. I don't know how I am going to manage everything when he has to go back to work. We were both so tired that first day when we came home since we had both been up for most of the night. The recovery for me has been so much easier this time around. Kyla has let me sleep for a few consecutive hours each night so I don't feel as tired. I still feel a little bit sore but for the most part I feel good. With the other girls I felt sore, tender and exhausted for at least a week after delivery. I think it really helped that I didn't have to recover from an epidural and I didn't have any tearing. 

Kyla really has been a great addition to this family and we sure are glad she made it here safely. Joel and I both love cuddling her. I feel so blessed that everything went so well and that she came so quickly. Welcome to the world little Kyla. We sure are glad you are here.

May Madness

Another month has come and gone. I was really hoping our baby would come sometime in May, mainly because Brynlee already has a June birthday but she hasn't come yet. I have had several contractions so hopefully she will come soon. We finally got all of our baby things set up and we have a car seat so we are pretty much ready for her to come. The girls have been really enjoying playing with all of the baby things.

May was a fun month for us. Joel started working from 7-4 and he is usually home before 5 each night. We are all really enjoying having Joel home earlier in the day. He has had more time to do his projects. We got our garden (mostly) planted and we helped my grandma do her garden. She went to visit my uncle Eric in Australia so she will be gone for almost three weeks. Brynlee decided she wants to have a "princess water slide" birthday party. She has been planning it for months and she somehow convinced Joel to make her a princess water slide. He is converting the pink castle he made for her last year into a water slide. It should be cool when it is finished. Brynlee and Annalyn had their last two preschool classes this month and they got to have a few different friends over to play a few times, which they always enjoy. The also got to go to Josie's house to play during all of my doctor appointments and Brynlee also got to go to Josie's birthday party this month.

For mother's day this month, Joel made me breakfast in bed and Brynlee made me a card. She drew me a picture of myself with Joel. Apparently Brynlee, Annalyn, and our baby were all in my stomach at the same time. I love her pictures and the stories behind them. At church we got some flowers and Joel sacrificed his weekly nap and we went to spend the rest of the day visiting our moms and wishing them a happy mother's day. I am very grateful that I get to be a mother and they we have such great mothers that are great grandparents for our girls.

Sadly, some kind of animal snuck into our chicken coop and ate all of our chickens. We think it was a fox. Joel tried to catch it, but the only thing he caught was several of the neighborhood cats. Luckily my parents still had all of the babies and Joel fixed the coop so that hopefully, no animals can get in. Now we have 10 little hens and one rooster. They are already getting big. The girls love holding them but we miss having the big ones roam around the yard. When Anna tries to catch them she chases after them while declaring her love and crying when they don't let her catch them right away. It is pretty funny. We have two little red ones that look just like our other red one and Annalyn has already named them both Cinderella. These chickens aren't laying any eggs yet so I have had to buy eggs at the store again. They are not as good as the fresh ones.

Joel finally got the old truck running that has been sitting in our garage forever. I didn't think that thing would ever run again. He got it several years ago. The person who sold him his four runner threw this thing in for free. It had been rolled and it was pretty smashed up and ugly. It looks good now. Joel even gave it a nice camouflage paint job so all of the dings would be hidden and unnoticeable. We had one really windy day here and the sad thing was that right when Joel was almost finished with his paint job, the wind blew over Brynlee's princess water slide and it landed on Joel's truck and put several dings and some pink smears of paint all over Joel's nice paint job. Joel was pretty upset about that but he already has it fixed and looking good again. He even painted Brynlee's wooden horse a camouflage color. The girls love that horse but Brynlee is not a fan of the color. She wants it painted pink. Joel also fixed the air conditioner in our van. Now he just has to fix the oil leak.

Both of the girls have really been acting out this month and they are driving me kind of crazy. I find myself lacking the normal patience I usually have. Brynlee keeps crying over nothing and she has been really jealous of Annalyn. She wants to look the best and cries and throws a fit if Annalyn is wearing something that Brynlee thinks looks better than the clothes she has on. Lately she hates all kinds of things too. Especially me and the rest of her family when we don't do what she wants. Annalyn is picking up on it too which bothers me way more that when Brynlee says it. I can't stand it when my two year old tells me that she hates me, even though she is just repeating what Brynlee says. Hopefully this phase doesn't last very long. The crying and the fighting is driving me crazy. Not to mention it is almost impossible to take these kids anywhere. They are normally fairly well behaved and as long as I set good and clear expectations, they do what I tell them to do. Annalyn keeps trying to run off in the store and every time I put her in the car she runs off and hides in the trunk or in the front seat. I remember Brynlee doing these same kind of things before Annalyn was born so hopefully it will get better in a few months. I am just a little bit worried about how I am going to handle these two when I also have a newborn baby to look after.

My girls can be extremely fun and helpful too and they have both been great at working hard to help me do things to get our house cleaned up. The both love to vacuum, clean the windows, and they are great at helping me set the table. I am sure they will be great helpers when the baby comes. The play well together most of the time and they are great at helping each other out. Brynlee has also taken to making her own snacks and food. Despite their craziness, I love them dearly and they are both really excited to help me with the baby. This is going to be a fun adventure. It seems to help when the kids can play outside so I am glad the weather is warming up so that they can play out there. They love it outside. We introduced them to the joy of water balloons but it turns out that Brynlee just likes to throw them in the grass and watch them pop, and Annalyn is deathly afraid of them and doesn't even want them close to her. They loved it when I got out the kiddie pool for them to play in but it has several holes so it didn't hold water that well. Their favorite thing is eating popsicles in the front yard. They loves popsicles. Annalyn is getting two of her molars on the bottom of the mouth so those popsicles have been a nice way to help her mouth feel better.