Melania’s Puppy Paw-ty

Saturday we celebrated Melania's 3rd birthday.
dog house sugar cookies
hot pink fire hydrants
Chocolate dipped dog bones
We held dog training and had a puppy obstacle course. Daniel took my game ideas to a whole new level. The kids had a blast pretending to be puppies.
The pups played fetch and got Scooby Snacks for participating.
the party favors

Kiara painted this dog house for her gift
She had such a great time. I can't believe she's 3!

“Pupcakes”

I  spent Thursday baking with Julie for Melania's Puppy Party.  I had so much fun learning. She made a great teacher and I can't wait to do more! I searched the web for puppy cupcakes and found them here
Here's their mouths…
their noses…
the finished product. pink bows for the girls
Here's a close up. Aren't they cute?!
We made really cute sugar cookies too. I'll post more pictures later from the party.

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Proud of Gum!

I would call this a milestone! Melania has been attempting to chew gum for quite some time, not getting the concept that you chew and don't swallow. Anytime I let Kiara have some, I break off a little piece for Melania and let her try. Every time I say, "Chew, chew, chew, and don't swallow." and then she repeats me. It never fails, she always swallows. This time  I broke her piece into 3, giving her a couple times to try. By the 2nd piece, she kept it in. Every couple of minutes Brian and I would ask if she still had it, and she'd say,"Chew, chew, chew!" and show us her gum. Then we would all cheer and high five!

La Familia Noche

We had so many people bring dinner for us from RVC when Vienna was born. This was brought to us by Johnna Briner. How sweet is this?!
Not only did she bring dinner, but a planned family night as well! Enchiladas, pinata, maracas, flowers for the girls hair, napkins, and a maraca craft.
Brian had fun holding the pinata for the girls.

Melania taking her best swing.
Jackpot!
She even made sombrero cookies!

Back on Radar

Vienna is doing great. She's 5 weeks old. Already up to 8lbs 7oz as of Friday. She sleeps great most nights. On good nights only waking up once. Her cheeks are starting to fill out, which I love. I am constantly munching on them. She is a really happy baby. Can sleep through anything. We've taken her to a concert and her sisters can be screaming at the top of their lungs next to her, and she'll keep snoozing.

Melania is my Sassy and Sweetie. She really loves her new sister. She has to know where Vienna is at all times. She steals her paci's. (Yes she's still obsessed with them and hasn't had one of her own since last summer) She loves playing with all the baby gadgets, swing, car seat, and bassinet. These are her new toys. She's still doing great with her potty training. She's needed a little extra love, but we've had some really great bonding time together.

We registered Kiara for kindergarten last week. Brian bought her the school tshirt and she's worn it almost everyday. She couldn't be more excited. It's all she's been talking about. Kiara is a little mommy. It's hard for her to share Vienna even with me. It's so nice having her help.

So Far So Good…

Today is my first day alone with all my girls.  Vienna woke up at 2:40am and decided not to go back to sleep. So I stayed in bed a little longer than usual. With Vienna finally asleep, I fed the older 2, cleaned the kitchen, and switched the laundry. Kiara and Melania have been playing together so nice without any assistance from me. Yah! Melania had an accident in the bathroom, Kiara cleaned it up. Then Kiara started the bath for them and they got in, played, and washed themselves. WOW! All while I got to catch up on some blogs!

Melania didn't want to be in the picture!
I have a feeling every day won't be as easy as this has been so far. But I will enjoy it for now!

“Special Delivery” Family Night

I planned ahead for the next few Family Nights, knowing I may be out of commission with a newborn.
This night was made possible by borrowing.
Here's our little mailmen.
I was so excited to see this mail box sitting in Kiara's classroom a couple of weeks ago. I asked if we could use it when they were done with it. Their mail man outfits were blue shirts and pants, we also borrowed from a friend with boys. I printed out USPS logos and double stick taped them to their shirts and hats. I think it turned out so cute!

We wrote letters,
 mailed letters,

and recieved letters and packages.
I left these packages on the front porch and rang the doorbell, shouting "Special Delivery!" The girls were so excited to find these. And Kiara shouted that this was her favorite family night ever. (I think she says that every time!) I had recently purchased Easter dresses for them and thought it would be more fun to give them this way.

We finished the night with Rice Krispie Treats that looked like mail and a game of "Mailman Charades".
How to play: At your turn, the mailman would deliver a letter to you, an envelope that had a picture of a character in it. Then you act it out while everyone guesses who you are.
This was one of the simplest nights and super fun!

Finally, A Picture!

Here she is! Vienna is healthy and happy. We're home and doing great. Thank you for all your prayers. The day she was born was a rough one, (you can read more about it here), but all is well now.

So far, recovery from my C-section seems to be the best this time around. I'm off my pain meds. and trying (key word) to rest. C'mon though! How does a mother of 3 do that? I'm not quite sure yet! I have had help, which is wonderful and I'm thankful for it, but it's hard not to just do things myself.

My good friend Kelley, took some great newborn pictures of Vienna this week. Check out her blog Frese Frame to see some more. I'm going to have a hard time choosing like usual. Hoping to have some time to catch up on all your blogs. Miss you all!

My New Love

Meet Vienna Scarlett Hale.

Born: March 17th @ 10:08am

Weighing in at 6lbs, 15oz and measuring 20 3/4"

I am (Brian) typing this while Jacinda is trying to tell me what to type as she nods in and out of sleep. 

She says that it's hard because she hasn't gotten to hold her yet, but she's beautiful and she's already head-over-heels in love. Thank you for all your comments, prayers and texts. Please keep praying for her complete health. 

You can check out my blog to get some other updates.

Hale-Yeah!