Merry Christmas!

So we went to Target today for some pictures. I was really surprised at how well the kids did considering they have never liked having their pics taken. Maybe it's because I bribed them with a Wendy's frosty afterwards if they were good. They only one I ordered is the one above(the first one). It's the only one that I really liked and was good of all 3 of them. Don't mind Kenzie's flower on her head. Yes, it's a little big. It seems to look bigger in the pics than it really did!

Yes, there is a large flower in the middle. Looks like J an M are connected by a flower.
Senior prom anyone?

Winter Stuff

We have had so much snow the last few days, and more to come! As much as I don't like it, the kids love it. The one thing that is nice, is that when it snows it warms up a little. They also love to take pics lately. Of everything. Jake actually got this nice shot this morning of Daddy, Brannon, Jared, Paige and Riley out shoveling snow in front of the Gilson's. I was very impressed with his new photography skills, which also include many shots of the window, our bed, half of people's heads, the toilet, etc. You get the picture. :)
Our sweet baby Connor who is growing so fast. He got this super cute outfit from his Aunt Megan. Can you see the red in his hair? Yep, it's there. And if I can brag for a minute, he is sleeping 8 hours a night! Then sometimes going back to sleep for a couple more after he eats. It is really helping my sanity. Oh and he has been smiling more lately which we love. It's hard to get smiles from this little guy, so we get excited when we get one.
Kenzie LOVES Connor. She is a big helper ~ with everything. She is so careful and cautious around him, but also loves to be right in his face ALL the time. She gets pretty upset if I don't let her know EVERYTIME I change his diaper, so she can help.
Jake loves his brother, but is not as interested as Kenzie. He will say hi to him maybe a couple times a day, but doesn't make much of an effort to play with him. It seems he really is just looking out for him, always keeping an eye on him to make sure he's safe and happy.
I have not been as good with this baby about tummy time, for obvious reasons. :)
But here he is, giving it his best.
One of the great things about living here, is that every Christmas, the city fire truck goes around to all the neighborhoods in The Ranches, with Santa perched on the top, throwing bags of taffy to the kids. How fun is that? Jake remembered this year, and couldn't wait. They looked out the window all morning. Even though sis was sick, she was a trooper and put on her boots to go outside. Like she would miss it. My mom said when she was a little girl in Orinda, California, they did this. Reminds her of a small town. Does anyone know if there are a lot of other places out there that do this? So fun for the kids.

my babies

I realized the other day how fast my babies are growing up. Ya, they are still little, but it seems like yesterday Jake was born, then it seems I don't even remember Kenzie being a baby. Now we have a new little guy and time just seems to fly. I can't believe it has been 3 weeks since he has been born. Time went SO slow for 9 months, now it's like the days are gone before I know it. (and when do I fit in that shower?) My dad always says how fast kids grow up, but it really didn't hit me til lately. And I still feel like I have NO idea what I am doing! I just hope I am doing something right.
Anyway, Jake is a vampire for Halloween and Kenzie is Snow White. Jake wanted nothing to do with me painting his face or coloring his hair. Kenz on the other had sat pretty still for some makeup(which makes her look nothing like herself) and hair. These were taken before the church Halloween party. At least they got to go to that in case it snows on Saturday!
The kids love to kiss the baby and like to have their picture taken with him. I think he really likes it too!

Connor James Madsen

Our sweet baby boy Connor James arrived October 7 at 7:58am. He weighed 7lbs. 4oz. and was 19-1/2 in. Everything went as planned and we are loving having a new little man in the house. Jake was so excited when Mike told him he had a new brother, and Kenzie really didn't care that it wasn't a girl. She was just happy to have a new baby to help mommy take care of. She really has been a big help and it is so cute to watch her around him. She loves to hold the bottle, get me diapers, and gets REALLY excited whenever he opens his eyes. She always says, "Mommy, there are no more babies in your tummy. Baby Connor came out and now he loves me." As for Jake, I can tell he loves him but really doesn't care what the baby is doing. When we first came home from the hospital, the first thing Jake wanted to do was read Connor a book. So he did, but has had no interest in doing it since then. He does though like to make sure he is safe and gets upset when Connor cries. He has been telling us that when he grows up and gets married someday that he is going to be a "really great daddy." That you are Jake.
Oh, a sad part of being in the hospital was the kids could not come visit. No kids under 14 allowed. So no pics of them in the hospital with me and baby. It was hard to not see them for a few days.
As for Mike, he loves having a newborn to sleep on his chest. That is his favorite part of having a new baby. As for night time, you could throw a cooler full of ice on him and he would not wake up. So I don't even attempt it. Who knows what would happen to baby if I handed him over to a sleep walking daddy. :)
As for me, 3 kids will take some getting used to. Moms really do need more than 2 hands and 1 pair of eyes. I have had a lot of help the last couple weeks, and am so thankful for a great mom and mother in law. Wish I could always have an extra hand here!
We love our little Connor and are so grateful for 3 healthy kids and a great life. Welcome to the family handsome!