Happy Halloween

For the last few weeks there has been a countdown in our house to Halloween. Asher got to wear his costume to school and the other kids were in theirs most of the day as well. Chick-Fil-A was giving out free meals to kids in costume today so Piper and Dexter hit that up after school (I am all about anything free). 

After dinner we put this little cow out to pasture. 

 I was feeling a bit sad that there will be no more Niphakis kids to wear this costume.

 Have you ever seen a cuter chicken? He went around all day saying "Bok Bok". It almost made up for the fact that he hasn't napped in days.

 Little Rapunzel wouldn't stop twirling long enough to get a proper picture.

 Batman is pretty cool on his own, but even better with a sword.

 I give you one tired little chicken.

Trick-or-Treating was a lot of fun with the kids. I had to laugh at all the people who asked "Are they all yours?"

Emmy Lu- 1 Month

Ember you are one month old today. We are having a very warm fall, so you get to be outside a lot. You favorite activities include sleeping, eating, and keeping us very awake at night. I know that is mostly due to the stuffy nose that you've had for the last three weeks. I don't hold it against you, but if that can clear up soon I would really appreciate it. 

 I see a lot of Asher and Dexter in your face. I think you are going to have blonde hair like they have as well. Piper is hoping your eyes will be brown like hers, but it's too early to tell.

 We are all so in love with you.

All by Myself

Ember is 4 weeks old today and it's the first time I have all the kids to myself. The big ones don't have school so we are having a relaxing morning (well as relaxing as it can be with these crazies). 

 Watching Piper with Emmy Lu is so sweet. She loves her sister so much.

Fall

I haven't posted in a week due to the fact that I am walking around in a sleepless fog most of the day. Emmy Lu is not a fan of sleeping at night. During the day she is all for it, but once the sun goes down she decides it is party time. 

 Today was gorgeous. After Asher got home from school we headed outside. I managed to capture the three minutes she was awake all day.

 Piper is dying to have the training wheels off of her bike, I'm thinking she is ready.

 Dex and Piper are pretty good pals these days. They love taking turns playing.

 Both of them think going backwards is much more fun.

Ember's First Bath

Ember was able to have a real bath this week for the first time. I have never liked the typical baby bath tubs. My mom bought this one for Ember and I love it. She does too! It holds her so well and keeps her pretty warm. My little Emmy Lu looks so cute in her flower. 

Princess Night

Earlier this week it was Princess Night at Chick-Fil-A. Piper was very excited to dress up and attend. 

 She had a lot of fun seeing all of her favorite princesses.

 Of course Ember had to come as well. I'm so curious to see if she will be as girly as her sister.

 These two sweeties! I hope they will be lifelong friends.

Emmy Lu

All of our kids have a family name as their middle name. Asher's is Stavros (Nate's dad). Piper's is Rose (my middle name after my grandmother). Dexter's is Constantine (Nate's grandfather). My great grandmother's name was Mary Ella. Originally we were just going to use Ella as a middle name, but I loved the idea of calling her Emmy Lu, so we added Lu in front of it. She is a southern girl, so it's quite appropriate. 

She is our little love bug and everyone wants to hold her. 

 Asher never misses an opportunity to hold her or kiss her good-bye.

The princess and the pea.

Dexter Love

Dex is loving all the new items that have come out of hiding now that Ember is here. He believes her swing and car seat are just his size. 

 He isn't potty trained yet, and he always tells us when he is stinky. He loves the fact that there is someone else in the house who wears diapers. Occasionally he will decide Ember is stinky and will pile diapers on top of her. He does what he can to help her out.

 Ember just goes with it. She is so sweet and easy.

Meeting the Siblings

My mom is here for two weeks to help us out. She brought the kids to the hospital to meet Ember. We waited until they got there to tell them we had a girl. Ever since Piper found out we were having a baby she insisted it was a girl. She wanted a sister so badly. A few weeks ago she woke up sobbing in the middle of the night. Nate went in to check on her and she said "I"m so alonely, I need a sister". Telling her she had a baby sister was so special. She loves little Ember so much already.

 Asher kept saying he wanted another brother. I'm really surprised by how much he likes Ember. He wants to hold her a lot and is really sweet to her.

 We didn't get ay pictures of Dexter with her in the hospital. He was too busy trying to find things to climb and jump off of. Being at home, he is great with her. He calls her "My baby", and wants to hold her a lot.

Ember's First Day

Yesterday morning Nate and I got to the hospital around 5:30 in the morning. We got started right away with the IV and meds. My friend Leah met us there around 6. The hospital staff is very accommodating and they allowed Nate and Leah to come into the surgery with me. It was so amazing having the support of them there. Nate stayed with Ember and Leah stayed with me. I am beyond grateful that she was there to be with me and to share the experience. A bonus is that she is an awesome photographer, so I already have some great shots. 

 I really thought we were going to have another boy. I am so glad it is Ember. She has completed our family.

 Leah got to dress like a surgeon for the morning.

 Meeting Ember was incredibly emotional for me. My little girl, our last baby.

The entire day was amazing. We had so many people we love surround us. It was perfect.