CT getaway

Jon had some time off at the end of the summer and we thought it would be a nice break to get out of the city, but the thought of flying anywhere with a newborn or even a long car ride seemed like too much for me to handle at the time.  I also wanted the time to be relaxing, and not spent running around all day trying to keep the boys entertained.  So, we started looking into nearby house rentals -- all I really wanted was a little taste of suburbia for a week or so just to ease up on the hustle and bustle of the city.  A car, a backyard, and maybe even a pool if we were lucky to find that. 

Lucky we were! We found a great house in Connecticut with a backyard, a swingset (bonus!), and even a great pool.  It was really the perfect little getaway for us.  The boys could swim all day (which they did), the baby could nap whenever she needed to, and we didn't have to run around unless we wanted to.  There was a nearby beach on the Long Island Sound that was perfect for the kids because the waves were super small and they could play independently from us and still be safe.  We had backyard BBQ's and were even able to have some city friends come and join us for some fun.  The kids had a great time together and entertained each other, which was a nice break for the adults!

We also visited the local zoo and aquarium and even found some Duckpin bowling that the boys loved!  So, it was pretty much just a regular week in the 'burbs for anyone else, but for us it was a vacation!  I don't know... maybe Connecticut is calling my name!

baby sis representing NYC!

cute boys posing for a pic

family stroll along the Sound

family nap!

                                     

lazy mornings watching cartoons

beach babes

Gabriel sunbathing

the boys kickin' it in the sand

 Maritime Aquarium

                                      

Beardsley Zoo

roasting marshmallows in the backyard fire pit

 s'mores!

baby sis helping me make dinner

backyard BBQ with the Vellingas

Noah the lifeguard

watermelon!

karate kick dive

cannonball!

popsicles

snoozing by the pool

dinner at Friendly's

(a Horey family vacation tradition!)

duckpin bowling

Summer re-cap

We survived the summer!  I was so worried about this summer.  Kids out of school and a new baby seemed like a recipe for chaos.  And I'll be honest, there was A LOT of chaos.  I have a hard time staying indoors and those super hot days sometimes forced us in but we got through them. Lots of lazy days were had with Spongebob and Angry Birds playing a key role in our survival especially for those first few weeks!

Luckily grandma has the summers off of work, so she was able to take the boys up to her house for a week, which was so nice -- for them and for me!  They're not used to having a backyard so they pretty much spent every waking moment out there.  Lots of time in the kiddie pool + an endless supply of popsicles got them through the week.  Eden and I joined them for a few days at the end of the week and it was a really nice break from the city.  Jon had to go right back to work with a full schedule which was tough on us, so it was really nice to have the family support.  

Noah also was able to go to day camp this summer for 2 weeks, which was such a great time for him.  He was able to spend time with his friends and be outside swimming and playing sports.  I was so glad that he had a little bit of a break from us and was able to have that experience.  It was really hard for me to escape feelings of guilt that I had for the boys not being able to enjoy the summer like we have in the past.  I realize now that they were TOTALLY fine, but when we were in the thick of the summer, it was really hard. 

One thing I will say, however, is that the boys really bonded this summer.  It was almost like they were forced to!  I was obviously busy with the baby and couldn't give them as much attention, so they really relied on each other for entertainment and for help.  Noah really stepped up to his big brother role and it has been so great to see how his personality is so perfect for his place in our family.  He pretty much potty trained Gabriel among taking care of other needs like, getting snacks, setting the table, fetching baby supplies for me, holding Eden, etc.  I feel really lucky to have him as my firstborn!

Gabriel definitely went through a rough patch with the addition of baby sister.  It was so much different that how Noah reacted when he was born though!  Noah was super aggressive towards Gabriel right after he was born, and I was so worried about something like that happening.  But Gabriel just became incredibly anxious and nervous about everything.  He refused to go outside -- even to the playground. He hated play dates, babysitters, and nursery at church.  I started to get really nervous about how his transition to preschool would go in the fall, and was even questioning our decision to send him.  But he has seemed to come around and actually really has matured quite a bit in the last month.  So, we're very pleased about that. He loves Eden and I'm always so happy to see him want to play with her, hold her and give her kisses!  He calls her a princess every time she wears a dress or pink :)

We're definitely moving at a slower pace these days, but I think it's been a really good thing for our family!

So here are some random pics (mostly from my iphone) that I feel sum up our summer...

Noah recording baby sister's info in his new big brother book from Aunt Amber and Uncle Mike

Sunday morning nap with daddy

big brother Noah reading to Eden

Both Gabriel and Eden like to sleep in their carseats as newborns!

lots of wrestling time with dad

Jon, Eden and I got to sneak away for some Indian food while Noah and Gabriel were at grandma's

post-bath baby!

marble madness @ grandma's house

scootering around grandma's neighborhood

grandma discovered this bounce house while she had the boys... they LOVED it!

big brother helping out

slip n' slide!

sunbathing

relaxing after a long day's work

big brother Gabriel has a turn holding baby sis

playtime!

Angry Birds!

first bath in her "princess bath" as Gabriel calls it!

this little guy was dangerous with his water squirter...

many hot afternoon water fights were had here!

crazy popsicle boys!

Noah is so sweet with her!

2 months old!

This little lady has been growing super fast!  

At 2 months, she's smiling, joining family story time, and wearing her dresses well!  

So many dresses, so little time! 

(seriously, before she grows out of them!!!)

Eden's Blessing

Eden's blessing was such a special day.  We were so excited to have Jon's family come all the way from Oregon for the big day.  And my parents were able to join us from upstate.  It's been a nice tradition to have  our extended family at all of our baby blessings and we feel so lucky to have such supportive family.  Eden behaved very well and didn't make a peep during the blessing which is always such a relief!  Great grandma Bonnie sent the most precious little bracelet for Eden to wear.  Such a wonderful little heirloom for her to pass on to her own babies!

I had a very special moment with Eden as I was dressing her for the day.  I realized right at that moment (in the chaos of trying to get 3 children ready and on time for church!) that I needed to really cherish her time as a newborn.  I think it took me having 3 kids to really understand how quickly the time passes.  I felt very strongly that she would only wear that dress and bracelet once and I needed to slow down the pace of our little family's life so we could enjoy each other a little more.  I am so grateful for those feelings and it has really helped me through some of the many crazy times since then that are so common  with 3 young children.

the family

sweet baby girl

tiny bracelet

bonnet!

1 month old!

This is Eden at 1 month!

Finally filling out her newborn clothes and starting to smile and play on her mat!