And He will give you the desires of your heart...: These days...

No surprise here...it's been awhile since my last blog post. The last five weeks of school were pretty much survival mode in our family with me back at work and trying to juggle end of school activities and craziness! So here's a little update on what's going on in the Schoen world these days...

Baby Love
I can't even tell you how much I am loving this sweet baby boy of mine! I am THOROUGHLY enjoying baby stage this time around. I hate to admit it, but I really didn't enjoy the baby stage with the twins near as much as I thought I would. The first few months with them was straight up survivor mode trying to keep them fed, clean, put down for naps, and trying to function myself. They spent a lot of time on a blanket on the floor because I would hate to hold one of them and not the other. Or I had them down simply so I could try and keep up with all of the other things I had going on. With it taking an hour to feed both babies, every three hours, there was little time for me to do much else.

So I am SOAKING up this sweet baby time with Mr. Colson. It has really been pretty special to have a single baby after the twins. I love our sweet snuggles and cuddles and have enjoyed getting to wear him in his carrier and being able to exclusively nurse. I feel like we bonded much more quickly this time around, and he seems to fit in to our family perfectly. Plus he is an AWESOME sleeper and has blessed mommy by sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. This allows me to be able to function like a human being much better this time around. He does have some hard times, especially when he has to wait for mommy while I tend to the twins, but he is fairly laid back and easy. We are loving getting to know him and are so thankful for our little surprise!

Terrific Twos
The twins have made the transition into the Terrific Two's and are really doing great. We all experienced quite a transition with Colson joining our family, but after about 6 weeks we got back in our groove. Of course we experience our share of "difficult" moments during this stage, but overall we are really enjoying the Two's. Tucker and Adelyn seem to be BLOSSOMING so much lately, especially with their vocabulary and learning. They are talking non-stop, LOVE to read, and are both super sharp! Here's some things my big two year olds love to do...

-Count to 15
-Name their shapes and colors
-Identify animals and sounds
-Speak in sentences (around 7-9 words)
-Buckle their car-seat with help
-Hit balls of the tee and kick soccer balls
-Sing their ABC's
-Sing several songs including "Itsy Bitsy Spider, Night Night Song, Jesus Loves Me, My God is so Big"
-Tell you what happens in a story
-"Read" their books when looking at pictures
-Play kitchen, play with tools, or build blocks
-Color pictures and put together puzzles

Age two is definitely a challenge with their new found independence. Being an EXTREMELY independent person myself, I understand their need and want to do things on their own. As their mother, it is hard sometimes to let them do things on their own, especially when we are in a hurry or I need to tend to Colson. Motherhood is definitely a battlefield and I find my patience being tested daily. Our new adventure is potty-training which is a whole new ballgame in itself. I am so thankful for God's grace in the times that I fall short and pray daily for his words and wisdom as I shape these two little lives!

Healthy Babies
Both Colson and the twins had check-ups in May. Colson continues to be on the BIG side of the spectrum while the twins continue to be on the SMALL side of the chart. Regardless of size, I am extremely THANKFUL for three healthy kiddos! Colson got his first ever shots which were a little heart-breaking. We had a couple of hard nights and long days of snuggles, but he rebounded like a champ. The twins didn't have to get shots and did GREAT at their appointment, which was such a blessing after the 18 month check was so rough. The twins are developing great, are super smart, and are right on track with where they should be!

Colson's feelings about getting shots

Colson's Two Month Stats:
Weight- 13lb 8oz (71st percentile)
Height- 24 inches (82nd percentile)
Wears 6-9 month clothes
Size 2 diapers

Tucker's Two Year Stats:
Weight- 26lbs 10oz (24th percentile)
Height- 2 ft 11.25 in (62nd percentile)
Wears 2T clothes and size 7 shoes

Adelyn's Two Year Stats:
Weight- 24lbs (10th percentile)
Height- 2ft 9.75in (35th percentile)
Wears 2T clothes and size 5 shoes

Three Under Three
In such a short amount of time, my life did such a complete change that sometimes I have to stop and catch my breath! Going from no babies to three babies in two years pretty much gave me a serious case of baby-brain and I sometimes forget all the years of heart-ache and struggle it took to get to this point. I get consumed by being a mommy. And some days are SO STINKIN HARD. I pray daily for grace to come out of my mouth and then cringe when the harshness comes. Tears roll down my face when I think about how long I asked for these blessings, and yet I still find myself yearning to lock myself in the bathroom just to get five minutes of peace. Oh this mommy life wears on you. These days are some of the longest of my life, but also some of the downright best.

Having three under three is a daily challenge. But I am so thankful that God chose me for this job. I am thankful that He chooses not to sit and watch me struggle, but to walk alongside me each step. In my best and in my worst moments, I feel his presence and know that He is there. Each little snuggle, smile, hug, and kiss is His blessing. It was GOD's choice to bless me with three under three, and His timing alone. There are days when I feel on-top of the world, and days that I am on my knees. And days where I am both in the same breath. But there is nowhere else I would rather be then in my home with these three miracles.

Sweet Summertime
We are enjoying the blessing of being home with our family this summer. Both Derek and I are doing some extra jobs and working part-time, but for the most time we get to be home together. We have a few things planned for July, but are spending our days going to the park, playing in the backyard, going to the library, going for walks, swimming, eating sno-cones, and laughing together. We are so blessed to have jobs that let us have this much family time together. I hope that I will be able to blog more, but knowing my three...that may not happen! I pray that you are all enjoying your sweet families this summertime!