migraines have made it really difficult to look at a computer screen which also means I have a hard time keeping up with regular blog posts but its about time for a long overdue sister update! I have gotten a few questions about Jolie’s health and sweet Baker turned three a couple weeks ago! I am always so thankful I have these updates on my growing girls to look back on. thank you to Alyssa Askew Photography for spending her afternoon for a mama and mini girls only shoot! I love each and every one of these photos! 

Jolie Grace (5 and a half)

Jo is my old soul. truly a homebody and loves nothing more than to have a “family day”.. pancake breakfast, lounging in her pajamas and eating popcorn while watching her favorite movies or shows. she could literally lay in bed or sprawled out on the couch bundled in blankets with Puppy perfectly content while her sisters and brother buzz around her playing. on the flip side she is all about the glam of her clothes (ruffles, dresses, shoes, glitter clips and bows) and dresses herself very well! Jolie is ALWAYS dancing and sings to just about every tune that comes into her ears. she cant wait to be a mama, just like me. she’s obsessed with her Rapunzel hair but hates getting it brushed.. begs me for braids every night to help control the tangles 🙂 Jolie is incredibly talented in everything she does- she’s able to pick up on games, recognize words, perform activities + sports, etc. really quickly! she seems to have the biggests desire to dance and practice ballet, so we are going to try that this year! since having her tonsils and adenoids removed back in March she’s a completely different kid. her silly is back! I feared for a long time after having months and months of scary doctor visits and invasive testing done she had “lost” her happy. she was so sad and so sick for what seemed like an eternity and I cried to Jordan after watching old videos (just about everyday) of what a silly girl she used to be and that fear weighed heavy on my heart that the “old Jojo” wouldn’t ever come back. but, you guys, she is doing amazing! we were instructed at our final pre-op appointment with the ENT that this surgery only “cures” about 85% of PFAPA kids.. and I’m confident to say that Jolie is among that 85%! she has had no fever, inflammation, or sores related to PFAPA. such a huge relief to have our girl back and even better than before. Parker Jane (5 and a half)

Parker is my biggest helper, my right hand gal, and is the best little mama to her three siblings. she often asks to rock Brady to sleep or help feed him breakfast and she is the first person Brady looks for when he “needs” something. I watched him try to open the lego bin the other day and he got up and went straight to find Parker in the other room, dragging her by the hand so she could help him open it.  about 90% of the time Parker wishes to be a mermaid when she grows up. she has the most wild imagination and often times draws it out on paper and is so excited to share with us the story behind the pictures she’s drawn. she truly believes in magic. and that is so special. other times she talks about wanting to be a fireman, like her dad, when she grows up. she admires him so dearly and LOVES to pal around wherever he goes. this girl blows our minds daily with her thoughtfulness and desire to truly be helpful. if I am sitting for a moment or laying down to rest she will walk up to me, brush the hair out of my eyes and ask so sweetly “do you need anything, mama? I can get you whatever you need.” her heart is pure gold! she has the most incredible art skills. she is always drawing and writing letters to her friends- she and her Nana (my mom) have become regular pen pals and they frequently send cards and notes in the mail to one another.  she cares so much for others and just wants to make people happy. plain and simple. earlier this year (you can find the post here) I talked about some of the behavior issues we were having with Parker- her emotions and anxiety were at an all time high and it was affecting every bit if her little life.  year four was really hard with Parker and took lots of transition of change and work for us to get her to the place she is now. for about 6 months we had her taking l-theanine (a chewable for kids called relax-a-saurus) every single morning with breakfast. occasionally if we were going to be out for a highly stimulating event we would have her take another in the afternoon. a good example would be when we took them to Disney on Ice! or Great Wolfe Lodge. there was so much to see and look at she would get overwhelmed pretty easily. since then we have weaned her off of this daily supplement and she’s doing awesome.  of course, we have learned that even on Parker’s worst days she needs a little extra love and encouragement no matter how frustrating her behavior can be.  we have all learned and grown through this experience with Parker and consistent reassurance and positive communication, even in her acting out, has been a HUGE component to our success.  Baker Bree (three years!)

oh Baker. Baker is our wild and crazy girl.

 the biggest lover in this house, she runs with open arms into every hug, is the first to pucker up for a kiss & tells everyone she WUVS them before departure. Baker tries our patience & pushes our buttons, but then turns on the charm and lets her hilarious attitude loose & makes us forget all about it. she absolutely ADORES her sisters. follows their every move & wants to be just like them, but is always looking out for baby brudder & trying to take care of him for whatever he needs. Miss Baker is the little comedian in our house too, she always knows when she is being funny & will do anything to make us all laugh. she is both a mama’s girl & a daddy’s girl, wherever there is an open lap and cuddles to be had, she is first in line to fill that space. she’s never dressed – ever. and hates shoes. panties and a tank top is about the most I can keep her in and by the end of the day we have panties sprinkled all over the house because she feels the need to change them 800 times. its hilarious to see her stroll across the kitchen with her Frozen microphone hanging out the back of her panties.this girl loves coffee and could live on spoonfuls of peanut butter if I let her. she also explains why she needs anything and everything with “becos’ it is so berry good for me“.  we are in the thick of the “terrible twos”, mainly teaching her that its not nice to scream “stop wooking at me!!” at her sisters (and the dog) and dealing with Baker learning patience- she’s not the only kid in this house yet she seems to believe at the moment that it revolves on her time.  she is very independent, often times playing by herself with her baby dolls. she’s obsessed with babies, both real and fake, and talks the most about having another baby brother in the house. she asks me every day if she can hold the baby in my tummy.its been a very different with each of our girls, and would probably say that I bonded the quickest & easiest with Baker Bree. Baker was the birth that I was least nervous for, walked in completely confident, and recovered the easiest from.. I kinda felt like I knew what to expect the second time around after the twins and was eager to bring home another baby girl into the mix. I was just ready right from the start to have that newborn baby girl in my arms. she’s is also the most like me, in both looks & (rather sassy) personality, so on days that she is testing me with all her might, I can only blame myself. this Baker girl has stolen our hearts, day after day, and I still cannot believe she’s already three.. even though she will tell you she is 5 and off to kindergarten with Parker and Jolie. 

girls dresses are from belle and kai and my dress is from altard state