Felix is 2 months old!

Felix turned two months old on May 18th. He is really starting to get bigger and interact with us more.

• Felix's eyes are turning more towards the color brown as opposed to gray
• His hair still curls up on the ends but he has lost a little on the top
• He continues to make coos, ahhs and ah-goos. He also let out a first little laugh on March 19th.
• He seems to have a slight cough and congestion. His first cold! :( I took him to the doctor because he is so little but it turns out he just has to fight through it and will be fine.
• He is still getting up one or two times a night, which is starting to get tiring. 
• Felix still eats once every 2 1/2 hours. 
• He wears size 2 diapers and is still in his 0-3 month clothes although they are getting tight in length.
• He weighed 11 lbs 6 oz on May 1st and was 22 3/4" long.
• We are working on tummy time. He also enjoys spending some time on his back on the floor under his play mat. 
• He enjoys sitting in his highchair where he can see everyone at dinner time. He also likes his swing and will often nap there.
• He's not a huge fan of being in the baby carrier. He tends to lose his binky and spend a lot of time trying to find it and gets frustrated.
• Felix is still a pretty laid back baby. He tolerates all of our kisses and hugs quite well. 
• I look forward to him being on a more regular nap schedule in the future. His naps are starting to consolidate more with at least 3 snoozes a day in the morning afternoon and evening.

Emmett is Four!

• Emmett has really grown up a lot this last year. He has become so much more independent. He's learning to get himself dressed without our help, brush his own teeth, etc. When we get home now I am able to get him and Hattie out of the van and Emmett opens the door to the house and lets himself and Hattie in while I get Felix. Then, when I walk inside they are always hiding from me in the living room. Yesterday Emmett jumped out from under a blanket. 
• Emmett is awfully sweet these days. He really loves his new brother and kisses him all of the time. He is just so full of love for him. We are trying to teach him that sometimes it's not ok to kiss him though - like when he's sleeping. He and Hattie get a long pretty well most of the time too. They enjoy playing together. We often find them sitting right next to eachother on the couch while watching TV. I think the fact that they have a playmate has helped tremendously with our transition to a family of five. He is also full of love and kisses for Mom and Dad a lot of the time. 
• Mother's day this year seemed to really click with Emmett a little more this year. When I picked him up from daycare that Friday he had a rose for me and a present (they each made a bracelet and Emmett made a necklace for me!). He said "Happy Mother's Day" when I got there. Then on Sunday I was getting him ready for church and rolling up the sleeves of his button down shirt. He paused for a moment,, kissed me and said, "Thanks". I said, "You are so sweet Emmett." He then said "Happy Mother's Day" and gave me another kiss. It really warmed my heart.
• Emmett tells us a lot more stories these days. Some of them make some sense and some of them don't. He uses his imagination a lot. For his birthday he got a lot of "guys" to play with and it has been interesting observing his play so far. He is into Spider-Man right now. He still really enjoys books. We got several longer books that I hope he enjoys us reading aloud to him. We'll see how that goes. He is also very good with puzzles and is starting to enjoy building things with his Lego Duplos. He enjoys playing trains as well and is more into building the track with a little help than ever before. He also plays with his cars. He has a set of lacing cards and he really likes playing with the strings. 
• Emmett is a great eater. He tries a lot of things. He's not a big fan of many things with meat in them except he does like meatballs and sausage on pizza etc. I would say his favorite meal is pasta with alfredo sauce and shrimp. He loves vegetables, especially peas and corn but he also likes broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. He also eats most fruits including cantalope, apples, mandarin oranges, grapes, raspberries, and strawberries. He doesn't really like green beans or blueberries but we still have them sometimes anyway! He has also recently developed a lot of chocolate milk after trying it a few months ago. He likes candy too - in particular m&ms and starburst. He also enjoys popcorn.
• Emmett wears 4t clothes but his pants are getting short. His 4t shorts for the summer seem like they will fit fine until fall. 
• We are getting ready to send Emmett to preschool next year. It will be a big transition for him as he has been at Dragon Tots since he was 16 months old. He also will no longer be with Hattie or Felix. I don't think he even remembers spending a day apart from Hattie so I'll be interested to see how that impacts their relationship. He'll be going to the elementary school by our house and luckily they have wrap around care so we won't have to transport him at all during the day.
• Emmett will be playing his first organized sport this summer - soccer! He has actually been doing pretty well with kicking balls so I hope he has a great experience.
• He has started to outgrow his nap and no longer naps at home on the weekends. We try to enforce rest time but he continually gets out of his room so we typically end up allowing him to watch TV on the couch or in our bed to keep him from disturbing everyone else! He still naps at daycare for about an hour and then because of that he doesn't go to bed at night very easily either. I think we need to drop naps all together. So, that's on the horizon. It will probably be a grumpy transition.
• For his birthday this year we sent Spider-Man cupcakes to daycare on Friday the 15th. We went to the YMCA that evening as a family and went swimming because that is something that Emmett had asked to do. Then on Saturday we went to the zoo with Aunt Katrina and both sets of grandparents. I made Chocolate cake with peanut butter filling decorated like a monkey.

Emmett - 

We love you beyond words. I can't wait to watch you learn and grow during this fourth year of life. It's so hard to believe that four years have already passed since I held you in my arms for the very first time. You will always be our baby! 

Love,

Mom & Dad

Felix is 1 month old

Our sweet little Felix is already 1 month old. Where has the time gone? I am very much enjoying this time getting to know our new little man. 

• Felix's personality is pretty easy going. He is not usually very fussy unless he needs to burp or has gas. He enjoys being held but is also content swaddled and laying in the rock 'n play or his bouncy seat. He tolerates kisses and hugs from his brother and sister very well.
• He still sleeps for a lot of the day. However we haven't experienced any significant night wake time (knock on wood!). 
• He has been a pretty good sleeper from the start. The first night home from the hospital he slept for 7 hours straight. Mom and Dad really needed that good sleep too! However that was an anamoly. He typically sleeps for 5 hours and then 3.5 each night. It is a good night if we get up just once at around 2-3am. 
• Felix has been smiling. I'm honestly not sure when his first smile occurred. It seems almost as if he was smiling from birth. It's been hard to differentiate where his "true" smiles began. I can get him to smile if he's in an alert state and I say "Where's your smile Felix?" with a lot of inflection in my voice. 
• As of four weeks old he has started to make some "coo" "ahh" and "ah-goo" sounds. They are pretty infrequent so far but he is really trying to talk to me at certain points in the day.
• Felix eats every 2 1/2 hours during the day.
• He is still in 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers.
• He likes his pacifier, which is MAM brand, which is what Hattie also preferred.
• His eyes are still not their true color yet. They seem to currently be a slate gray color. I assume they will be brown eventually but they are still changing.
• Felix has curly hair. This has been a bit of a shock. Once it dries it doesn't seem very curly. However, when it is wet and for a few hours after bath time it is curly all over.
• He also has the sweetest little dimples which I think he gets from his Daddy.
• At first I thought he looked like Emmett but now I am starting to think he resembles Hattie more.

We are having so much fun with Felix and couldn't possibly love him any more!

Introducing Felix Dillon Nelson

Felix Dillon Nelson came into this world 5 days overdue at 5:04pm on March 18, 2015.

He weighed 9 pounds 7.7 ounces

20 3/4 Inches long

Mommy could not have been happier!

Emmett and Hattie came to meet Felix shortly after his birth. They were so excited!

Dear Felix,

I knew you were going to be a big boy but I don't think I expected you to be as big as you were! Your delivery was perfect, none the less. I was so relieved to have you in my arms instead of in my womb. I will never forget that moment in which I was so happy to meet you and I also realized how much strain my body had been under carrying you. At five days overdue my doctor was able to get me in to be induced. I had hoped to go into labor naturally. However, that just didn't happen! Once my water was broken at about 1pm contractions soon began and you were born only 4 hours later.

My favorite doctor was able to deliver you as well. I couldn't have asked for a better delivery. You are perfect!

You look similar to your brother and sister with lots of dark hair. Your eyes remind me of Emmett's at this point and I think you take after my side of the family more. But, I know you are so young that you will be changing a lot. I'm not sure if your eyes are dark brown or a gray-blue. They look to be both depending on the lighting. Your hair curls at the ends when wet. I have a slight wave to my hair but we don't have a history of curly hair on either side of the family so we'll see if yours takes on more waves or becomes more straight as you grow up. We also think you have a small mouth like Mom's side of the family. So far we haven't noticed the distinctive pouty lip both of your siblings had at birth. But, you do have the sweetest dimples when you smile. :) You have long straight toes and long narrow feet. We are so excited that you are here and a part of our family, Felix. I just can't wait to see what you will be like as you grow up. But for now I am trying to enjoy every ounce of the new-ness of you! I'm loving your sweet baby snuggles as much as possible while trying to find some balance to our every day life now as a family of five. 

Love you with all my heart,

Mommy

Hattie - 2 years old

My baby girl turned two on January 30th 2015. There's so much to say about this spunky little girl it's hard to know where to start.

Dear Hattie,

At two years old you are so much more than I could have ever imagined. You have always been ahead of the curve. I've never worried about your development. You always have something to say these days. You tell stories. Some of your favorite stories that you tell over and over that Daddy and I would like to remember include: the time you rode the camel with Daddy at the zoo, that there are "no ghosts in here", or "shhh.. the ghosts are sleeping", "I was crying on santa's lap. I wanted Mama.", "Andreas took Emmett's cup.. at daycare", "We don't pull hair", etc. You always seem to know what is going on and what we are talking about. You are very aware at the mere age of two! You can count past ten but for some reason like to shout out the number 11 and stop. I'm not sure how high you can actually count! :) You are learning your letters like crazy - which I cannot believe. You know H for Hattie, D for Daddy, G Grandma, E for Emmett, X, U, W (which seems to be your favorite letter although we don't know why!), O, I, F for Felix and Papa Frank, etc. I think smart would be an understatement. You know that your birthday is January 30th and that you are now 2. You can also tell us what month each of us were born as well. You know what Mommy and Daddy's real names our as well as your first, middle, & last name.

You can be very particular about certain things. If you are tired and something doesn't go your way (Mommy tries to dry you off with the minion towel instead of the monster towel after bedtime for example) you can throw a fit that lasts a good while. We often make you go to time out until you calm down. Then you are comforted with some hugs from Mama, your white blankie, and your water. Your favorite stuffed animals are your monkeys - "Ooh Hoo" and your newest monkey named "Baby Monkey" that you got from Lucy at daycare for your birthday. Lucy also shares the same birthday as you and has a special place in your heart as does Jessica as well.

You have really developed a love of books over the last 6 months of so. Some of your favorites include "Hooper Humperdink, Not Him", "The Napping House", "I wish that I had Duck Feet", "Elmo & Friends Look & Find", "The Christmas Story" - which you refer to as the purple Jesus book, "Silly Sally", "Baby Dear", and many others.

Your favorite toys/activities include the Elsa doll you got from Christmas, Minnie's bow show figurines with outfits you can change, play food, coloring - and we have caught you coloring on the floor and wall at least 3 times now (which really makes Daddy mad!), as well as dress up clothes. You play with Emmett's toys too - cars, trains, etc you name it! You always ask us before getting into something "Can I play doctor?". :)

Favorite foods include macaroni & cheese, hot dogs, carrots & ranch dressing as well as lettuce & ranch dressing, breakfast foods like scrambled eggs, cinnamon raisin toast, and cereal. You really struggle with a lot of fruits and vegetables but we keep giving them to you anyway! Broccoli is typically something you will eat as well as apples, oranges, bananas, sometimes grapes, and cantalope.

At bedtime you like to have us sing you several songs. Mommy usually sings "Twinkle Twinkle", "Are you Sleeping" and "Brahms Lullaby". If you are really tired you are asleep by the time I finish singing. Sometimes you will tease me and say "No songs" (typically when you are tired). And then as soon as I close your door you cry and say "songs Mommy!".

Some of your favorite games include pretending to be a ghost with a blanket over your head. Running around with Emmett and hiding from Mom and Dad upstairs - which usually happens before bath time, and pretending that Daddy is a puppy. Sometimes you won't give Daddy a kiss, but you are willing to give the puppy a kiss! You like it when Daddy puts you up on his shoulders as well as flips you over on to the bed. Although it makes Mommy nervous. You are a little daredevil! You have never been afraid of slides or anything else really for that matter.

For your birthday this year we went to Omaha to the children's museum. January 30th was on a Friday so we took the day off of work. You and Emmett really had fun. There were so many great things for little people to play with. We let you ride the carousel 3 times and you would have ridden several more if we had let you. You both enjoyed riding the little train they have there as well. I think the carousel was your favorite part. You really liked "riding the horsey".

We love you so much Hattie! You are the sweetest and spunkiest little girl that I know. You are Mama's girl and always will be (I can hope, right?)! You are such a joy and I am so happy that you are a part of our family. We love you forever Hattie Jeanne!

Mommy, Daddy, Emmett & Baby Felix

Baby Nelson #3, 26 weeks

This is the first time I am posting about my 3rd pregnancy! Oh boy.. time gets away from me these days. Now, it certainly doesn't mean we are any less excited about this pregnancy than the other two! We are just a lot busier (major understatement). 

On July 5th we found out we were expecting. It was a little bit unexpected. And after telling Rustin and getting over the initial shock that a sweet baby was on its way - we decided it was all a part of God's plan. We were certainly planning on having a third child but we hadn't quite decided when were we were going to be ready for that. Well I am certain God's timing is much more perfect than ours could ever be because ready or not - HE is on his way! On October 15th we were also surprised to find out that our little one is a BOY! I thought I had all of the classic signs of a girl pregnancy. I felt terrible during the first trimester, the baby was stealing my beauty, I was extremely fatigued for the first few months, craving citrus and sweets etc - It had to be a girl! But he's not! Afterall I have had both a boy and a girl previously so I should know these things by now? I have decided you never call tell until you see for yourself. Surprises certainly seem to be a theme so far. I can't wait to see what other surprises he will bring along the way. 

We were so blessed to learn that he is healthy. I have had no complaints thus far in this pregnancy. I cannot believe how lucky we are. I just keep thanking God, honestly. I have slight swelling in my calves and ankles but otherwise that is it at this point. I am still chasing the kids around without issues. Although I will admit it is getting harder to get up off of the floor than it used to be. :) 

Emmett and Hattie are very excited to meet their baby brother on or around March 13th! Yes, he does happen to be due on Friday the 13th. We have been busy preparing our guest room for his temporary residence along with celebrating Thanksgiving and now preparing for Christmas. We plan for him to be in the guest room until he's around the age of two and then the boys will be sharing a room once we can transition him with (hopefully) minimal problems. 

We have also officially decided on a  name. I'll tell you - naming boys is not easy. However, there is a name that had been speaking to me since before I was pregnant with him. I did really struggle with it for many weeks. I just adore it and I already can't imagine him being anything else other than:

Felix Dillon Nelson

Baby boy - we are so looking forward to your safe arrival in March so we can admire, hold and adore you. You are going to be one of a kind, so very loved, and ours! 

Emmett Turns 3

Emmett Robert turned 3 on May 16, 2014. He had a good day at Dragon Tots and brought Mike Wazowski hats and chocolate cupcakes with blue frosting for his birthday celebration there. Of course he was the one that refused to wear the a hat! He can be a little a little arnery, but mostly I think he is unsure about all the attention he receives on a special day like his birthday. We practiced the night before. I would say "Happy Birthday, Emmett" and he was supposed to smile and say "Thank you!" After 2 times he said - "Mommy, not until tomorrow!"

We had a low-key birthday party with our families on Saturday. We went to the mall and played, then had pizza and cake at home. Here are a few pictures from the day...