We were at a Mom's group park play date the other day and I felt like I had the big kids.  It was so weird no longer being the "new mom" but quite the opposite with a preschooler, toddler, and one more on the way.  It's hard to accept the fact that my girls are growing up.  

At the zoo last week, both girls went right up to this Gopher snake and stroked it's back.  There was no hesitation, no fear, I just stood back and watched my girls be independent little people.

On that same zoo trip, they both decided that they were ready to ride the animals that go up and down on the carousel. Up until then, we all sat on the bench together.  Naomi was so excited and Mia was still a little nervous.

I was so proud of them (especially Mia) for conquering a fear.

 

These two are starting to look more and more alike as they get older.  I've even been asked on a few occasions if they are twins (usually when they're sitting down).

 

They still have very different personalities but are still best buddies.

My girls are growing up and some days it makes me sad and other days excited for what's to come.

Dear Baby Boy,

Mommy got a little behind with her weekly letter to you. Just because I haven’t had a chance to write a letter, doesn’t mean that you’re not on my mind every single day. I wonder what you’ll look like, what type of personality you’ll have, and what things will make you most happy. About a week ago, I think you had a big growth spurt. I was so tired and could feel my stomach stretching. It’s hard to believe that you are already about 3.5lbs. If you are about the same weight as your sisters were when they were born, that means you still have about 4lbs to go. One of my favorite things each day is when I get into bed at night and just feel you move around. It’s the quietest time of day when I can just enjoy you. See you in about 7 weeks little guy! I sure am looking forward to it!

Love, Mommy

I didn't realize how much I needed a girls weekend until actually experiencing one!  The five of us girls spent the weekend in Breckenridge, which was the perfect getaway.  The views were picturesque   with the mountains and fall colors.  Even better than the views were the conversations.  The first night, we were up until 12:30am talking.  That's super late for a bunch of moms.  There are 12 kids four and under between the five of us (including the 2 babies in utero).

Emily, Me, Laura, Hillary, and Abby

Laura and Abby used to live in Denver but are now in different States so it was so fun to spend some quality time with both of them.

There was a lot of laughter, some tears, and deep, intentional conversation.  These women are amazing and I left this weekend feeling so encouraged and thankful that they are all in my life.

 

My friend, Emily and I.  

We are due a week apart and our middle children are also a week apart (our oldest are only 9 months apart).  She is having her third girl.  It is so fun to have such similar families and our girls absolutely adore each other.

After the weekend was over, we met up at Hillary's house for dinner so Abby and Laura could see all the little ones.  If they still lived here, play dates would be a little crazy considering that Laura's three little ones were back home in Nebraska and we still had a full house.

This weekend couldn't have happened without our husbands' support and them taking care of all the little ones.  Joe did so great with girls all weekend.  I think it was good for all of us even though he was probably a little more tired going to work on Monday.

I got this idea from Mia's teacher at the daycare they went to for a little while.  Simply make dots on the letter and have the child cover them with stickers.  All three girls really enjoyed doing this and I loved that they were using their fine motor skills while peeling and sticking the stickers.

L is for Leaves

For snack we made letter L with pretzels and had cheese that I cut with leaf cookie cutters.

The girls had a lot of fun going on a leaf hunt (although it was a little challenging since there weren't many leaves on the ground).  Don't you love Naomi's outfit?!?

Once we got inside, the girls stuck the leaves to contact paper that I attached to the wall.

L is for Ladybugs

This was a great counting activity.  It's hard to see but each ladybug has a number on it and the girls had to put on the corresponding number of spots.

Link to the original source

My little ladybug

and her super cute sidekick

L is for Lemonade

Naomi had a lot of fun making her paper glass of lemonade and it turned out so cute!

link to original source

I am officially 30 weeks along with this precious baby boy.  This is when I start my weekly pictures and letters.  I am so excited that I only have 10 weeks until I meet this little guy but also sad that I only have 10 weeks left of being pregnant.  This has been such a dreamy pregnancy with my worst symptoms being acne, varicose veins, and being somewhat emotional at times.  As much as I want to have my body and energy back, I will cherish these last weeks of being pregnant with my last baby.

Mia's 30 week letter

Naomi's 30 week letter

The girls had soccer this past weekend.  We took both of them for a free trial class to a program called, Soccer Buddies, to see what it was all about.  

Mia is all about dance right now and wasn't that excited about going.  We told her she just had to try it once to see if she liked it.

The girl didn't stop smiling the whole time.  She did so great and got an amazing workout.  I don't think she's ever ran that much!

I really hope we can get her to go back because it was an awesome program!

Naomi and Joe did the parent tot class, which looked like a lot of fun.

According to Joe, Naomi is a natural with the soccer ball.  Can you believe that's my baby?!

It was fun watching the two of them have some special time together; Naomi was very proud.

I just can't get over how much all of this stuff costs.  If we signed both girls up for dance and soccer, it would be a couple hundred dollars a month!

I'm guessing this is just the beginning of the expensive activities. 

But, I will say it is so fun to watch your kids thrive and enjoy life!

Labor Day weekend always feels like the end of summer since the pools and splash pad close.  We spent a lot of time in the water this past weekend soaking in the last opportunity to use our neighborhood pool.  Mia has become such a great swimmer.  In the beginning the of the summer she was scared to go off the steps of the pool with her floaties and by the end she was swimming all around and jumping off the edge.  Joe and I are so proud of her.  It's crazy to think that next summer we'll have a little baby boy tagging along.