Almost didn't make it.

Well I almost counted my chickens before they were hatched with that last post.  That night Gentry had a major meltdown.  It all started because I wanted to change her diaper and she didn't want me to put another diaper on her, she wanted to keep her old diaper on.  I'm seriously so mean to want to change my daughter's diaper!  

So then she fell asleep on the floor and I even instagramed it because it was "cute" that she cried herself to sleep on the floor over a dirty diaper.

Fast forward five minutes from now when we are finished with dinner and I'm nursing Maren and she wakes up and is seriously ticked off.  She cries for the duration of Maren's feeding and then continues to do so and I can't do anything to calm her down.  Finally, I break down and call for back up.  If I have learned anything from having this fifth baby, it is that it is okay to ask for and accept help.  So I call Bill and Peggy and ask them to come over and hold Maren and help the other kids so that I can deal with Gentry.  She cried unconsolably until Bill walked in the room after he had been at the house for a little while, and for whatever reason she decided to calm down.  It was the craziest thing.  She ended up skyping with Than for a bit and then I asked her why she was so sad and crying and she said, "I want daddy come home."  It was the saddest thing ever.  And who knows....it was probably true.  We all need daddy to come home.  

What is hilarious is that when Pacen said the prayer last night he said, "We are grateful that Dad could stay the night."  And Than is like....What the heck?!?  I live here!  So funny and sad at the same time. :)  ANd then Camry said something along the same lines today and Than said something about not being some transient that comes and goes.  Oh and then Camry went on to say people that do stay the night at our house like Grammy, and Papa, and Shauna.....and FRank! (Frank who did our yard last year and did stay the night many many times but now it's like he's a part of our family!)  

Anyway...Than is home and it's fabulous.  Except that he worked from home today and it was impossible to keep everyone quiet and that is stressful for Than because he's usually on the phone and can't have screaming kids in the background and stressful for me being shushed by Than and trying to keep kids from being loud.  But he brought home lots of shoes and soccer jerseys and scarves and life is getting back to normal.  

Big News...I got a picture of Maren smiling!  

She really has been giving us real smiles since she was three weeks old and I could not for the life of me get her to smile when I had my camera ready.  Here are some attempts: 

Okay, this isn't an attempt, but it was when she was just over a week old and I happen to catch her in a mid-sleep smile.  So sweet.  

Here are some attempts: 

Nope, nada. 

Not a chance. 

Close, but no cigar.

But yesterday was a success!  

Woohoo!  Cute smiling baby.  And yes, the baby acne stage is in full force now.  Boo.

And I will be smiling tomorrow when I get my hair cut!  No more of this crazy, nasty, ugly long hair!  

This was a picture of us playing beauty shop the other day.  Man was I looking pretty.  

Here is the rundown of some other happenings via random pictures. 

#1:  We had lasagna the other night (thanks to a very kind Anne Ereg).  I've had so many meals brought to me over the past few weeks it is ridiculous but I have been so grateful for every one.  Getting back in the groove has been really hard with five kids.  We're getting there but five kids is a lot to keep happy and keep your house moving especially in the newborn stage.  

#2.  Claira is beoming a better and better helper.  She loves to hold Maren as long as it's on her time frame but it's getting better.  The other day she held her and said, "This is just like a Mama!"  My girls are learning how to be moms everyday. 

 So is Gentry. :)  This girl LOVES to do the dishes and "helps" me all the time.  She'll sit there for at least 20 minutes rinsing them over and over. It's cute and very messy. :)

 And Gentry has an even shorter holding Maren attention span but that is to be expected.  But she will ALWAYS go and get a diaper or blanket or whatever I need for her.  She's a really good helper for a two year old. 

And she's just funny.  She makes us laugh all the time.  She is constantly getting in that swing and I just loved her taking a pretend nap with Micky and Minnie.

#3:  Camry is an artist!  She is always making things for me and drawing and it's cute.  Claira is right there with her, too.  And Gentry is getting the hang of it too although she still will color on the walls instead of paper.  ARGH!  Bur really I cannot have too many crayons or coloring books in the house.  It's their favorite thing. 

#5:  Maren loves to sleep on her tummy which I don't love but I love it when she takes long naps like she's doing even as I type!  

 #6:  This was taken today with all the sunshine coming in.  The weather was so nice today and the kids were complaining about being "too hot".  Spoiled rotten brats.  

Just a sad picture of Maren.  She isn't always happy but a lot of the time.  

Oh!  And big news for Pacen's mouth.  We had an ortho appointment yesterday and his mouth has already moved 4 millimeters!  I thought that was all it needed to move but I guess it was in a -1 position and it needs to move to +4.  So five millimeters total.  And his moved four in one month which is awesome and it means that he will be getting his braces in ONE MONTH!  OH MY GOSH!  I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S GETTING BRACES ON!  We were both so excited and relieved that the face mask time has been effective and didn't last the whole four months like it could have.  But braces...that's a whole other beast that we'll have to face.  But we'll take it.  Never a dull moment around here anymore.