First Day of Kindergarten

It totally amazes me that this day has finally come--the first day of Kindergarten! I was a mess yesterday - so emotional about everything. I wanted their lunch to be perfect, their clothes to be just right, a great breakfast to start their day... I tucked them in last night and went back before I went to bed to give my "big boys" extra kisses while they were sleeping, tears streaming down my face. They never saw me cry and they genuinely seemed excited about starting their first day.

Of course, the morning didn't go off without a couple hitches. Joshua was upset that he didn't get the #5 locker, so that kind of started his day off on the wrong foot. Hopefully he's over that by now :) Jaron was great right up until I said "ok, let's go find your seat and sit down." All of a sudden he had some doubts. Luckily, Nathan was there to help turn things around - introducing him to some kids at his table and putting him more at ease. There were no tears, that I'm aware of, and I can't wait to hear all about their day and see the comments from their teachers.

Here are a few pictures from our morning:

Jaron & Joshua in front of the school

Daddy & the boys walking up to school

Joshua, Monica & Jaron in front of Joshua & Monica's class

Joshua as soon as we got out of the van

Daddy putting Jaron at ease in his class

Our "First" Child

Nathan and I were talking the other night about how we hadn't posted pictures of Trooper in a while. For those of you who don't know, he was our first baby. I adopted him when I was in college - about 19 years old. He's now about 14 years old (give or take a year since he was from the animal shelter). So, when Nathan and I married, Trooper and I were a package deal. We are convinced that he is THE best dog ever. He has the most patience of any animal I know and has put up with two very active twin boys and is now getting to know Eliana. He is almost human in so many ways - the way he gives and asks for affection, the way he can't hide when he's done something wrong, and the way he acts has my second set of eyes when I'm home during the day.

One of my favorite stories to tell about Trooper is how he once ratted out Jaron and Joshua for leaving the yard. One afternoon when I let them out to play, I let Trooper out with them. After a while Trooper starts barking at the back door - I thought that was strange since he typically doesn't bark if someone is outside with him. I looked and realized the boys were no longer in the yard and they had gone out the side gate. Rather than following them out of the yard, Trooper knew something wasn't right and let me know the boys had left the yard. You should've seen their faces when I called them back in and told them that Trooper told on them!

Sweet Trooper getting some hugs from Nathan

Eliana checking out Trooper

How Time Flies

Last night we attended Kindergarten Orientation at the boys' school. I just cannot believe that five years ago they were only about five weeks old and I was just getting to know them. Now we're preparing them (and ourselves) to leave them off at Kindergarten for the very first time. I have so many emotions right now and most of the time I just want to cry. They are so excited, especially after last night. Next week they will actually get to meet their teachers and see their very own classrooms, so I think it will make it even more comfortable for them. I have so many worries - some big, some small...but I know deep down they will do great. Joshua will make so many new friends and probably be the class clown. Jaron will steal his teacher's heart with his sensitivity and intelligence. I just can't wait to hear all the stories they will have to tell me at the end of their first day. I still have some last-minute things left to do to make sure we're all ready but ready-or-not, the first day is right around the corner. How on earth did it get here so fast?

Speaking of time flying, Eliana will be six weeks old on Monday. I can't believe it! I feel like I just got out of the hospital. My recovery has gone great and I'm feeling pretty much back to normal. She is an absolute dream. She only wakes up once in the night for a feeding, goes right back to sleep and sleeps until 7 or 8 o'clock most days. We're struggling with some gas/spit-up issues but all-in-all we are very blessed with a very good, happy baby. Five years ago with the boys, I was a total mess--stressed, sleep-deprived, overwhelmed. Today, it's much different. I actually know what to do (for the most part) and I do it all very calmly without (much) fear of totally messing things up. The boys are such a help with Eliana. They bring me just about anything I need when I need it. They are constantly wanting to kiss or hug Eliana and she always smiles at them when they do. She could not have been blessed with better big brothers.

So, what is it like to be a mom of three? I'll be totally honest--it's not easy and even absolutely crazy at times. I've already had my first shining moment of three kids screaming at once in a public place and I'm positive it won't be the last! It's a constant struggle for me to give everyone equal time and to make sure that the boys know we love them just as much as we love Eliana. I worry about causing resentment or jealousy. I make it a point everyday to tell Jaron and Joshua individually how much I love them and how proud I am of them. But, with all of the challenges, craziness and stress, it's absolutely the best job in the world. I never imagined I could feel even more love than before. I cherish every hug & kiss and adore every smile that comes my way and I'm so blessed to get to experience those things every single day. Someone once told me that being a parent is the most selfless, thankless job in the world but those hugs, kisses and smiles make it all worthwhile.

Just another day at Casa de Guajardo...

Just wanted to post some pictures from our Tuesday here at home. I've been sick with a stomach bug but we've managed to make the most of it and do some playing.

Here is one of the boys after doing "who knows what" out in the backyard. That's actually chalk dust all over them. I promptly led them upstairs for a bath. Yes, that's Joshua in his boxer-briefs and goggles...that child...

Here are some of Eliana hanging out in her swing, working on some tummy time and spending some time watching the ceiling fan while relaxing on her boppy pillow. The ceiling fan is way more exciting to her than just about anything or anyone in our house. I managed to get a glimpse of a smile just as she turned her head. She's very sneaky with those smiles!

It's been a couple weeks since I've blogged. As you can imagine, it's pretty busy staying home with three kids. The boys have been spending much of their time during the day playing with neighborhood friends and I've been working on getting Eliana on a schedule. I think last night was the best so far--she woke up once at 4:30am for a feeding and then slept until 8:00am. We've also been trying to get the boys ready for school. So far we've bought their school supplies and new shoes but still need a few clothing items for them to be ready.

We decided that we finally needed to make a trip to visit my Mamaw and Papaw (my grandparents on my mom's side). We were well overdue and we needed to introduce them to their newest great-granddaughter. We enjoyed our visit and I think Mamaw and Papaw enjoyed having us their too. We definitely need to get up there more often - as hard as it is with the kids sometimes to go, it was well worth it. Here are some pictures from our visit.

The boys and me with my Papaw

Four Generations: Mamaw, Mom, me and Eliana

Papaw sharing his wisdom on planting seeds with the boys

Mamaw and Eliana's First Meeting

Eliana with Aunt Jonnie