Beacause with 4 kids, the show must go on...

 While Baby Pierce was definitely the main attraction, the other 3 boys got plenty of love, time and attention too.

Soocer Games

All 3 are playing soccer this season. It's crazy...2 parents, one car. Needless to say our sports life is going to be nuts from here on out. The boys loved having grandma and grandpa there to cheer them on. The only bummer? My parents bring horrid weather to Michigan and this time was no exception. It was freezing!! Glad I was home snuggling Pierce.

 And while the brothers are playing, they are all pretty good at keeping themselves busy.

The Big House

We had tickets to the Michigan vs. Minnesota game, and since Mike has seen lots of football games, he let my dad take Parker. They had a great time in the mammoth stadium watching Michigan crush Minnesota. We're glad they made it...it was a miracle that we found the tickets after they fell out of Mike's pocket at the soccer game. Thank goodness for honest people.

 General Conference
One of the best times of the year and the perfect weekend to have a baby. We loved listening to our prophet and his apostles and were enriched and lifted by their words. In addition, we even had our kids listen to an entire session (2 hours) by placing word strips on bowls full of snacks and candy. Everytime they heard one of those words, they collected something yummy. Now, if I were an awesome mom, they would have all been in glass jars with colorful labels and coordinating ribbon, but amazingly, it still works well done the ghetto way.. Phew! (see the cuter version and better explanation, here!)

 Cousins!
This is my Gummy's cousin, Elaine. She only lives a few minutes from us, and it's been so fun to connect with this side of the family since we've been here. She's really helped us feel at home here, plus she's fantastic at family history and has introduced us to all kids of relatives, living and deceased. She dropped by to pay a visit to cute little Pierce.

 The Forest
The sun finally came out and the boys couldn't wait to take my mom to the forest and show her all of their pets. They caught salamanders and snakes and toads and brought them home for a 24 hour stay. I'm a fan of having 24 hour pets that live outside. Once again, she's a total trooper. It was nice to prove that Michigan really can be beautiful.

 Grammy Time
And of course lots of love, snuggles, books and attention from Grandma. Everyone was sad to see her go. I had lots of tears and even Mike asked if she could stay a few more days. Glad we survived the 11 days on our own. Can't wait to see Mimi today!

Smitten

We are all postively smitten with our new addition. Here are LOTS of pictures to prove it (A big thanks to my mom for being willing and ready to capture every little face and every new moment...again, what would I do without her?)

These pictures are from the first 10 days of his life, but I'm typing this at 2 weeks and Pierce is a pretty easy going baby. You wonder if kids get better or if you as a mother are so much more relaxed it rubs off on the little guys. He loves to sleep during the day and we are working on the nights.

 I've realized that nursing is like riding a bike...once you've done it, it might take a minute to adjust, but it all comes back to you. He is an amazing eater and loves to nurse. I don't remember loving it this much before (maybe because I usually had a toddler trying to hit the nursing baby) but it's been so great this time and such a speical time to bond. There were quite a few questions from my older ones, (Does that hurt? Is he biting you? What happens when he gets teeth? Do you have to drink milk? How does milk get in there?) but now it's no big deal.

 I've been taking advantage of having alone time with Pierce and I try not to hurry things along. I adore spending time with him.

 I'd forgotten for how many hours you can just stare at a baby. Everything he does seems new and magical to all of us.

 I don't even mind waking up at night (well, not too much). When I come into his room to see him, even only half awake, I'm so happy to see his sweet face. He's delicious.

 Having a baby 5 years after your other kids will certainly have some disadvantages, but as a mom, it's been so great to be able to devote time to him.

 This little "O" face is one of our favorites. He loves to do it all the time. He's also a big stretcher...just like a little kitty, and it can make us all stop in our tracks just to watch him.

 These boys are still all crazy about him. They've been wonderful and adjusted so well. Of course, there have been a few hiccups, but the love for Pierce is always there...sometimes they are just a little bothered that mom can't do everything for everyone. James struggled a little, as he's had me to himself for quite a long time during the days, but he's doing well now and we have a pretty good thing going where there's plenty of love to go around.

 So far, Pierce is so calm and sweet. He cries sometimes, and when he does it breaks our heart, but for the most part he's pretty good! We're so grateful and hope it keeps up :)!

 Pierce has the tiniest feet of any of my kids. Really, alarmingly small and skinny.

Pierce was not a big fan of the bath. In fact, he hates to be undressed at all and cries lots everytime he gets his diaper changed. But Grandma figured out how to make him love it with a warm towel and lots of snuggles.

 My dad came the first weekend Pierce was born. He just loves to see and hold the little ones. I was so happy to see him and so grateful he was able to be here. He spoiled us all and kept the boys entertained too. He's such a sweet grandpa.

 Since my mom was often the picture-taker, we didn't get too many photos with her, but she was the most awesome helper ever. She came and for 10 days did EVERYTHING. Stayed up late, woke up early, did laundry, cleaned my house, made or picked up food, let me nap, got the boys ready for school, made breakfast and their lunches, kept me company, didn't let me over do things, did all the carpooling and running around, played games, read books, did bedtime, bought everything I needed and didn't think about, bathed and held Pierce, went to back-to-school night and cub scouts...seriously the list goes on and on and she never complained. Because of her, my recovery was fast and went well. By 2 weeks I'm feeling really great and like I can handle this crazy life of mine...though I'm still much more tired than I used to be. I've said it before, but what do you do without a mom?

Living away from family is a bummer, but I'm so grateful to have 2 sets of parents that always seem to keep us close! So glad they could be here!