Ketchup- Part 1

Where to begin?!

I'd been so vigilant a blogger while pregnant with Katie. She was the first. It was easy. I cannot believe how simple it was to have only one child (and OH, how simple it was to just be pregnant with our first). I thought I was so clever with Reflections of a Baby's Mama... writing all the time, catching up all of our friends and family with the happenings of my pregnancy, then of course of our baby's growth! 

 Suddenly, there were two tiny Conrads and posts became more sparse. Pregnancy posts about baby number two (aka- William) were fewer and far betweener. But there were some... and certainly I mentioned his growth here and there. Then came the two pink lines that confirmed baby number three. The post went something like, "Oh yeah, and I'm 4 months pregnant with another kid." Okay, maybe not that casual, but still. Pretty sad. 

 So in an effort to win back some motherly merit, here I go. New blog, new start, new ambitions! I cannot wait to turn the old blog into a book for us, but I know it will be SO time consuming to go through and make sure every photo is still in it's place (which they're not) and replace the ones that have disappeared into the black hole of the interwebs. 

 Any way- the ketchup. The catching up... as I previously stated: where do I begin?! My pregnancy with Baby #3 went lighting fast. It was startling to look at the calendar and see how quickly our April 1st due date was approaching. We took family photos in the fall of 2011 with my friend Carolyn of Carolyn Jayne Photography and I was just a *little* pregnant at the time. So we had some fun with chalkboards.

We had a great time over the holidays and I really enjoyed this year with the kids.  Kate was so excited about all things Christmas: the Christmas story (the Jesus one, not the Ralphie one), Santa, reindeer, our Elf on the Shelf named Frankie, cookie baking, present wrapping, song singing and general holly jolliness.  She is a sucker for Christmas, much like her mama!

We rang in the New Year with early bed times and sparkling apple cider for this expectant mama, and welcomed 2012 with anticipation of many great things to come!

The kids are such a joy... I never imagined my life would look like this.  Never, in a million years, could I have pictured in my head what gorgeous children Matt and I would make.  Not that I am biased.  But seriously.  Look at them.  They're amazing.

Will was tired of just being one, and turned one and a half in January... one is for babies, anyway.

These shots were the finest I could capture when I attempted 18-month portraits while 32 weeks pregnant.  He pretty much never stopped moving or trying to escape from me.  Example A is above on the left where, while he looks so serene, he is actually hustling off the bed and getting ready to run the hell away from me and my stupid camera.  His words, not mine.  At least that's how I read it.

Kate; however, digs the camera and the attention.  In most cases, she'll let me take her picture any time. In true Kate fashion, though, it is always on her terms.  Her terms almost always include some form of dress up.  She likes to pick her outfit/ accessories/ props/ ridiculousness... which I'll admit drives me nuts most of the time.  On this particular day, I just couldn't NOT smile when she rocked her glasses, formerly known as sunglasses until she ditched the lenses.  Check that smile.  That's my girl!

She is my quirky one.  Take for example her slightly OCD need to have certain things in bed with her... they change from month to month.  During this particular time in February, she managed to sneak into our room, without a sound, with all of these very important items:

- Pink sock monkey, named Clementine

- Weenie dog

- Her own pillow

- Rapunzel

- Unicorn pillow pet

- Green blanket (which she now insists on calling "buddy" because that it what her cousin calls her blankie)

- Her fave book at that time, I'm Going to Be a Big Sister

- Teddy bear

Do you think she had to make multiple, extremely silent trips?!  Neither Matt, nor I ever detected a hint of creeping preschooler moving her bevvy of belongings into our bed.  She cracks me up!

Alright, it's getting late and I have a new baby to tend to during the wee hours, so I'll finish playing catch up tomorrow!  Part 1 down... phew!  That's a relief!