sister snapshot

i saw this done on another blog & LOVED it- snapshotting each sister where they are at this moment in time. 

oldest to youngest, i'll start with my sweet lucille jane-

sweet, sweet lucy. 3.5 years old this month, this is the most responsible 3 year old you can imagine. she is such a rule-follower & loves to make people proud. she loves her little sisters, is so proud to be a big sister, and she & eloise are becoming the best of playmates [although lucy does enjoy teasing eloise to try & get a big reaction every now & again...] lucy loves talking to betsy, and uses a high-pitched sugary sweet voice when she does. she asks multiple times a day if she can "look at betsy's eyes" when i'm holding her- she loves for me to bring betsy down to her level so she can have a conversation with or sing to her. lu loves dress-up, longs to be in school, and loves dance & gymnastics classes. she'll usually tell you she prefers whichever class she most recently attended :) she loves art, especially painting, and doing big kid stuff like markers, glue & scissors :) she has a huge imagination, loves playing with friends, loves putting on performances & telling stories. her latest phrases [we hear multiple times per day] are "you betcha!" & "oh dear!"- and i definitely hope they stick forever. she & jon have the most beautiful relationship- she gains so much confidence, independence & self-worth because of it. she's sensitive & feels things deeply. she is the best role-model for her baby siblings & we are truly proud of her kind heart and sweet manners & demeanor. 

my wild child eloise amy. 21 months & the biggest heart to match her big personality. a true toddler tornado, eloise is bound to make a mess wherever she goes- large portions of my days are spent cleaning up after our middle sister :) she is so funny, and knows it too- she loves being silly & making people laugh. she's in a big mommy-stage right now, which i chalk up to her having a new baby sister. she asks me to "hold you please!" multiple times each day, and loves cuddling as close as she can possibly snuggle her little body up to mine. she's still nursing before nap & bed if i'm the one to put her down, and i love these sweet moments with her. she loves books, and we often find her flipping through whatever reading material she can get her chunky hands on. she loves helping- throwing trash away or moving clothes from the washer to dryer [then dancing as soon as the dryer is turned on!] she loves lucy & has a few moments of distress anytime we drop lucy off at dance or gymnastics without her. she thinks betsy is "cuuute!" & mimics lucy's high-pitched voice when she talks to her. i am so excited to get her in dance class this fall- she tries so hard to learn the dance steps lucy enthusiastically teaches her, and her golden green eyes & dirty blonde hair are two of my favorite things on this green earth. 

& baby beatrice claire. oh how i love this innocent baby. she is the easiest, most laid-back little person, and has brought a joy to my life that i've honestly never felt before- i've been describing it as euphoric feelings that just aren't going away! she is so meant to be here with all of us. she is simply awesome to have around- she only fusses if she's hungry, needs to burp or is sleepy. she eats great, sleeps well, smiles with her whole body, melts us with her snuggles. she is unfazed by the commotion of her sisters & dog. she enjoys tummy time, and lifts her head up to look around & check out the scenery. she is especially drawn to lucy's voice, and will sit & watch lucy read a story to her for as long as lucy is willing. with the other girls i was so excited for them to grow & meet milestones- with betsy, i have cried a fair share of times over the fact that i can no longer deny she's outgrowing newborn diapers & premie-sized clothing [i don't know if it's because she's possibly our last baby, or because she's such a dream baby... or both]. she is definitely her father's daughter- she goes with the flow, makes people feel good & is happy to just hang out & be. 

i am so honored to get to stay home & raise these 3 baby girls. even on my most exhausted of days, i wouldn't want to be anywhere else, doing anything else. i'm so thankful. 

xoxo, 

-ivy

ps- edited to add that last night, betsy did her longest night stretch to date; however, in that time, eloise woke up to puke [twice] leading to a midnight bubble bath & lucy woke up from a bad dream. i literally couldn't control myself laughing when jon bolted awake saying, "what the f***?!?" life is so not perfect & we may not always be able to reap the benefits of a peaceful night's sleep... but i wouldn't want anyone else by my side as my partner through it all :)

green eggs in honor of dr. seuss month :)

ready to dig & plant roots- apple & cherry trees now outline our backyard! excited for pie baking endeavors with my girls- one of my favorite childhood memories is picking cherries & baking pies with my gramma.

seuss day at the library-

& betsy's first hibachi- she slept through the whole darn dinner :)