I'm back!! And I had a baby!!!

Where to begin????? I have missed you blog, I really have.  Many times I had posts all written and laid out in my head, only it never made it past that point.  And then suddenly a whole year has passed.  How does that happen?  How does a whole year pass and you don't even realize it????  Crazy.  

And it just gets crazier because we had another baby!  A beautiful, adorable, sweet baby girl. :) Miss Emery Claire Gubler was born February 5, 2014 weighing 7lbs 12oz.  I was certain she would be at least 9 pounds and if you had seen me you'd have been certain of that too.  But since I'm the author of this blog, you don't get to see those pictures.  Nope.

Oh man, she is a cutie.  We love love love her.  I suppose for posterity's sake I'll recount the pregnancy and delivery (briefly).  First 3 months - sick, sick, sick.  Last six months - back pain, headaches, back pain.  Castor oil.  Endless walking.  Castor oil...again.  It's time!  Labor - not my worst, not my best.  Got an epidural.  It didn't work.  Ouch.  Cry. Ouch.  And then she was here!!  A perfect little baby girl!  

She had dark hair and Preston's tan skin (still don't know where that comes from!).  She looked to me to be a pretty good mix of Paige and Preston.  I think one of my favorite parts of that day was how excited the kids were to see her! 

Once home, I really did feel pretty good.  The best I have felt with any of the kids.  And they were loving her.  Especially Paige.  I mean, look at her preciousness.

Her first 6 weeks were kinda rough (in the sleeping department).  The roughest of the 4.  I was getting a little nervous.  Her favorite way to sleep is over your shoulder.  She is the cuddliest thing ever and I love it.  So I was thinking she'd probably love her tummy... But that is a major no-no or so we're told.  But one night I decided to try it and she slept the whole dang night.  I almost had a heart attack and went running to check on her.  She was just sound asleep! So a tummy baby she is, and as of right now (3 months old) she has blessed us with all night sleeping for a couple weeks now.  Just when you think you can't love your baby any more, they go and sleep through the night and you love them 100 times more! AND get this.... the girl has two teeth already!! At 2 1/2 months old I thought she was getting a cold as she had a runny nose and was occasionally a bit warm.  A week later I noticed that her two bottom teeth had already broken through the skin! I had no idea she was teething.  Crazy.  I know my babies teeth early but she just might be eating a steak at 6 months old.

Last week, I had a friend take her pictures and I love them!! She is looking more and more like Preston to me. Thanks Michelle! For your viewing pleasure.....

And just in case it's another year before I blog again here's an update on these 3...  (It's still weird to me that I have 4 kids.  Four.  Wow.)

Caiden - 

Caiden continues to be the happiest-go-luckiest kid in the world.  In the words of his soccer coach he is a "bottle of sunshine" and "one of my favorite people in the world.  Period."  He is THE best big brother in the world (particularly to Preston - and he's a hard one.  More on him later :) ).  I'm so glad I had him first, because really he is an awesome kid, who loves kids (I swear he'll have 10 one day) and sets the best example to everyone else.  As much as he is awesome and fun and great and funny he is equally as horrible at chores.  Seriously.  I don't want to use the word lazy, but it does come to mind.  Between he and I it's our greatest challenge.  I don't want to use the words yelling and screaming... but they do come to mind.  More recently, he has taken to a rather expensive taste in clothing.  He even knows everything he wants for next years school clothes shopping.  I took one look at it and said "boy, you better get a job."  So we are "discussing" and "trying out" new PAID chores.  Dishes for me and weed eating for Casey.  I think thus far we've decided it's easier to do it ourselves or just have him go to school naked.  I'll keep you posted on how that goes. :)  It's a good thing we love him so much.

Paige - 

Paige is my girl :)  And she loves me.  Really she does.  Over the past year I probably have about 20 little notes she writes me telling me how much she loves me and how pretty I am and how I clean the tub real good and do the dishes real good "but sometimes they are not clean" and how much she loves my face because it is so pretty and how I'm a good cook... Okay, I'll stop there.  But she's pretty awesome and I do so love these little notes :)  She has taken up piano this past year and does SO good at it.  At least we think, we aren't so musical Casey and I. :) But whatever she's playing, it sounds great to me! I especially love when she sings along with the songs.  Loudly.  She really is an easy and obedient child.  I pray this continues!!

Preston - 

Holy cow.  We have a tornado in our house that we call Preston.  He keeps me on my toes like nobody's business.  But this kid is DANG cute and he knows it.  And funny.  No one can make me laugh like he can.  No one can also make me scream as loud as he can or make me want to run away to the Caribbean all alone and live in a tiny hut on the beach with just my Kindle and a lifetime supply of Dr. Pepper.  Not that I've thought about it or anything :)  And no one loves their big brother as much as Preston loves Caiden.  He is absolutely obsessed with everything Caiden does.  Everything.  Everything.  He even repeats stories Caiden tells, about school or his friends, as he is telling it! It's like this little echo follows Caiden around everywhere he goes.  Everyday when Caiden leaves for school he pouts "But will you come back??? Come back okay!" Our most recent battle is him getting dressed everyday.  You think that's simple? It's not.  Not for him.  He wants jammies on everyday all day.  And not just one pair, several throughout the day.  In fact I believe he went to bed tonight with both jammy pants and shorts on at the same time.  He's resorted to saying in his prayers, "please bless that I can get dressed".  Poor thing.  Only divine help will cure this one I've concluded.  I've learned with him, just as one "issue" is solved another begins.  Like right now... There's currently "a dinosaur in the wall that says roar" and he won't go down the hallway alone.  I wonder what tomorrow will bring. :)

As for me and Casey, we keep trucking along. Four kids is busy.  Whoever said it's all the same after 3....  I'd like to track them down have a little chit chat.  It's not the same.  At all.  But I'm not complaining.  I love my little family.  I'm just learning to adjust to 17 million unfinished tasks with no great prospects of them being finished anytime soon. However, I have officially finished painting every single wall inside and outside of this house.  Do you know the joy that brings me?  Probably not. But maybe I will post some before and after pics.  I think I've said that before.  Don't hold me to it.