That was then . . .

As I was bathing little Andrew tonight it was so fun watching how delighted he was to splash in the water all by himself. I suddenly felt so bad, because honestly, it's probably the 3rd time he's had such a luxury. Most of the time his bath's consist of quickly dipping him in the water, rubbing him down with soap, rinsing him off, and then making a quick exit before his siblings accidentally drown him/poke out his eyes. It got me thinking about how I've changed as a mother from the first to the fourth child. So, in honor of this post, I've not only included some recent photos, but I also dug some up from memory lane.

What I've toned WAY DOWN as a mom of four:
1) Dressing--I've learned what battles to fight when it comes to clothing. Optional: any clothing at all when we're at home. Not Optional: diapers, pull-up's or underwear of SOME kind. Also, I've given up on onesies. They're nice, but honestly, it's just more laundry to wash and snaps to do, and not really necessary.

2) Any sort of personal care for myself. I remember the days when as a mom of one I wouldn't leave the house with out some sort of makeup on. Now I shoot for either makeup or hair done, but honestly quite a few days it's neither. And that's ok with me! I've also decided to go European and only wash my hair twice a week. Hey--that's an extra 10 minutes a day!

What do I put more effort into as a mom of four?
1) Feeding my infant. I remember wondering how people got their babies to eat rice cereal--James wouldn't touch it. Well, now I know--you don't give it to them with water. Now I freeze extra breast milk in ice cube trays to use for cereal later on. I learned this with the twins--they were much more likely to accept a new food if it tasted some what familiar. I also always add fruit or veggies to the cereal. I make much of my own baby food now.

2) Schedules. I remember with James I could just sleep in till 2 if he would let me. Now there's no such thing. James wakes up at 7 am. James wakes up Kate. James wakes up Clara. James wakes up Andrew. James wakes up Mom. We're all up now and very grumpy. No sleeping in here! To James's defense--that was just today--usually it's Kate who's my early bird. But, we follow a general schedule everyday that keep us, well if not sane, at least alive.

The Dinosaur walk at the Zoo

James was too scared of the dinos to get out of the stroller!

Here is a pic of my little Buzz Lightyear

Clara and her quintuplets.
She didn't quite get that when I was saying 1 dolly I meant put the other down, not pick one more up.

A flower from Grandma's garden.

I had to get a picture to show how the flower was bigger than Clara's face.

Andrew started solids last week.

He's not officially 6 months until Friday, but he was beyond ready.

He LOVES his real food. And sleeps better too.

Here's a picture from the past.

James' mischievous look is all too perfect!

Ahhh! Back in the days when the girls could and WOULD share a swing (or anything at all for that matter) at the park.

Love my little baldies!

James and Clara snuggling