Survival Mode

This week was a big week for us! I still can't believe I did it.

Well. Me and Jesus.

Daddy had to leave for the entire week. Again. For the second time since Preston's birth.

Which might explain why I haven't had one second to write a single post!

I've been in survival mode.

Flying completely solo with five babies.

And I have failed miserably. I just have to say.

Thank goodness I have an incredibly sweet neighbor who has driven and picked up
two of the kiddies a couple of times this week for me. She is a precious soul.

Loading five babies at the crack of dawn to drive one to school at 8:00 and then two to school at 9:00
has been a little hectic!

Someone always needs to go to the potty.

Someone is usually crying.

Someone may or may not like their lunch. Or their outfit. Or the radio station.

The list goes on.

In addition, I'm on the lookout for a set of stripes and a whistle if anyone knows where I can buy such things- without being an official referee and all.

Do you think they would sell those items to a sleep deprived Mother of six?

I need those stripes and that whistle to break up all the WWF smack downs that have occurred here
this week!

Seriously. They've had a few disagreements.

Everyone is out of sorts. So I am doing my best to be the Mama~Daddy this week.

I feel terrible living in survival mode- instead of "enjoying our life mode"- but that's just what we've
had to do to get through until Big Daddy gets in tonight.

Que the choir.

And he can't get here soon enough.

Thank you Jesus.

This week has been wonderful in so many ways....

All the kids piled up in my bed. Everyone taking turns holding baby Preston. Listening to the kids
sing in the car on the way to school......

And it has been absolutely wild in other ways.

So much so I had to ask that sweet neighbor of mine if she wanted to "view" a disaster in the laundry
room the other day.  It involved Dreft laundry detergent ~( the powder) and a two year old who apparently thought it was a sand box. Oh my. She had no words.

I didn't either.

Hopefully she will still allow our children to play together.

In addition everyone officially hates their car seat. Yes. Of course.
And Ashton decided that this week, while Daddy was away he would learn to climb out of his crib.

It's been a character developing week for Mama.

I am anxiously awaiting the day that he can be home with us every, single night.
It's coming soon. I just know it.

And I will never, ever take for granted having my husband home every night ever again.

Trust.

In other news Baby Preston is doing beautifully and is just delicious!  Oh we all want to "put him on a biscuit" as they say in the south! We are enjoying him so much and cannot believe that he is five weeks old today!  He is really getting some serious baby rolls ..my favorite thing! Pictures soon.

One of the highlights of my week was finding Emma Pearl using my breast pump.

Oh my.

I'll spare you the photograph of that!

But for your viewing pleasure I will leave you with one of my monumental moments as a Mother..

As if I didn't have enough going on.........this happened.

That's right. Someone with great, big, blue eyes and a pink hair bow decided to call 911.

I told the officers that no, there was no emergency but that I was a blogger and I was gonna
need a picture of this!

They were good sports!

Have a great weekend! We are loading up the party van to head to the airport and then I am going to collapse:) I'll post again with more pictures soon!

Love Is

Love is the gift of a brand new baby brother.......

Tiny kisses on his forehead.

It is the most precious set of feet that have stolen our hearts.....

Love is three sets of great, big baby blues.......

Love is not being in a hurry. Slowing down. Afternoon naps and a camera in hand....

Love is having three big sisters who absolutely adore you.......

Love is a warm bath and siblings begging to hold you and brush your tiny wisps of hair.....

Love is a moment of childhood captured from behind the lens.....

It is three precious boys to cherish and a halo of sunshine on the crown of their heads.....

Love is spending the afternoon delighting in your children. 

Love is beautiful exhaustion .......and worth every second of it. 

It is the delicious fragrance and the promised sound of your sixth gift......

Love is mercy and grace and hope and faith and joy......unspeakable.

Love is a heart filled with gratitude.......

And six precious children who have caused their parents to rejoice in thanksgiving in ways they never dreamed were possible.

"He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all you can think, hope or imagine"

Many blessings to you all on this special day.....

Two Sweet Weeks

Here is a picture of The Prince taken just this afternoon! Somehow I managed to squeeze in a few pictures in between school pick ups and nursing and laundry and so on.

I couldn't resist.

I wanted to remember this moment at two precious weeks old forever.

Pure sweetness.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with delicious hot cocoa, pink heart shaped marshmallows and lots and lots of chocolate!!

I have to get back to holding my little bon bon!

Thank you again for your love and prayers and the absolute sweetest comments .....it means so much to us.

Increase

Here are a few pictures of Preston's arrival! I'm so sorry for the delay in posting! We have had a beautiful and very busy few days once arriving home from the hospital and I am still trying to recover as well as make sure every single heart is doing okay here and isn't feeling left out in any way....that is so important to me.

Minutes old with Big Daddy. He is overwhelmed by the Father's love and bursting with gratitude!

These tiny feet have increased our household made a permanent impression on our hearts forever.......

I was worried about our youngest and how he would respond since he has been the baby in our house for 2 years and 5 months.....

We brought him in first and alone to meet his baby brother for the first time.....

This was his immediate response. All worries were put to rest and there were lots of tears of joy.....

The baby girl in our house took to Preston like a mother hen. She was SO sweet to him!!

Big brother had the same response. Grateful. Thankful me.......

And sweet Bella with baby brother.....oh the joy of these two together.....sweetness magnified.

Big brother and big sister gifts for all the kids hand delivered by my sister.......I have always wanted my sister to be present for the births of my children and the distance separated us and she was never able to be present.  But God is so good.....she was able to be present this time and she blessed my family in such beautiful ways. It was like Christmas for my babies! She picked out multiple gifts for each child based on their likes and interests and blessed them so much!!! My heart was bursting with joy.......

Big Daddy and the girls with Preston....

Meeting brother for the first time.......

Little Mama Bears.....

My beautiful niece....she loved holding and cuddling baby Preston!

Toy city in my hospital room thanks to YaYa! We even had a tea party!

My first born and my youngest gifts.......His grace poured out......

Mae~ Mae and Preston.

My three sons!!!!!

My beautiful sister, me and the Prince!

The tiniest feet....

Our sweet boy......

Leaving the hospital!

I hope to post again soon with more pictures and things to share. Trying to rest and recover this week. Thank you again for all of your love, support and prayers! It has meant so much to our family....