Another Milestone

In one afternoon, this little house went from having three cribs, two changing tables, and one cradle to having one crib, one changing table, and two toddler beds. It was kind of a bittersweet day. I'd been talking up the "big kid beds" for awhile, and the kids faces revealed their excitement when they first saw their new set up. So far, it is going pretty well - thanks to Grammie for sleeping on the floor with them the first night!! We'll see how it goes from here...



Eli probably could have made it in his cradle a little longer, but he kept scooting up and bumping his head. It is still hard for me to believe that Grace & Isaac slept in this cradle together AND slept horizontally in it for the first few weeks after coming home from the hospital!! If you're not already aware, this cradle was a labor of love handmade by Papa - isn't it beautiful?



Sleeping soundly in his own room - for more nursery pictures, see January post.


Grace & Isaac's room before the big change. This was after moving their cribs from the "L" shape awhile back when Isaac started climbing into Grace's crib. Actually, it didn't stop him for long!



The new set up. Aren't those little beds adorable? Many thanks Aunt J. The quilts were made by a loving group of women from church when the twins when they were born. They fit perfectly on the beds, and the kids and I like the animals and bright colors.


It looks like this picture was taken in the middle of the afternoon, but it was actually quite late at night. Grace & Isaac are even quite different in their sleeping habits - Grace falls asleep and rarely moves, Isaac thrashes most of the night.

Little Hope-Man

Eli Hope continues to be a joyful, easy going guy. He is a fabulous third child! I love newborn babies, but it is so much fun when they begin to interact and become their own little people. He is now blowing bubbles, belly laughing, rolling over, eating rice cereal, pulling hair (Isaac says "no pulling brother"), and smiling most of the time. Grace and Isaac can't get enough of him. Here are a few recent pics of the littlest member of the family.


He loves to kick and splash in the bathtub. I've tried bathing all three of them at once...not my best idea yet...


All smiles



Grace decided it would be a good idea to try him in the outside swing this week - as you can see, he is a big fan!

Three Cheers for Endorphins

I ran my first half marathon yesterday and loved it! It was a gorgeous morning, a beautiful course following the river, and two hours and nine minutes with a great friend. Krisi and I have run together for years, starting back when I was a college student on summer staff at camp. We now have seven kids between the two of us and were thrilled to see them all (not to mention Andy, my folks, and Matt, Krista & Anna) at the finish line yesterday.









The Sonneland kids then showed Grace & Isaac the Radio Flyer slide and the ever popular trash-eating goat.



Eli was asleep in the stroller so didn't make the picture.


Dad and I also took G & I on their first carousel ride. Grace loved it, but after the first minute or two, Isaac wasn't so sure...

Outdoor Kids

Now that spring has arrived, we spend most of our time outside. Somehow the sunshine, warmth and budding new life seem to make everything a little better. Just this week a fence was installed in the backyard and boy, what a difference it has made! The Adirondacks that Dad built finally made it out of my storage shed, and the kids are content to play, eat, and play some more...I think they'd even nap outside if I'd let them. :)

There is a large park with a playground and plenty of open space to run and romp just down the street from us, so when we do need a change of scenery, I load up the triple stroller and head down to the park. Nicole came with us one evening last week and spent a good deal of time capturing photos of the kids. Here are a few of my favorites.

Just What We Needed

When Eli was born, a number of friends asked what I thought I needed, what would make life more manageable - meals, diapers, cleaning - what would be most helpful? At that point I must have been in a bit of a fog, as I didn't really have an answer for them. Then it was suggested that I hire someone to help a few times a week to give me time to focus on Eli, run errands, work, or just have some time to myself. At that point Kim entered our lives and she was just what we needed. Really. She has been a tremendous gift of life, love, energy, patience and FUN these past few months for Grace, for Isaac, and for me. I am so very grateful for Kim and for the generous friends who helped make our time with her possible. I can hardly imagine these past months without her help. Kim graduates from Whitworth next weekend and will be leaving the area. Congratulations Kim, we will miss you! Can you tell how much the kids adore her?!