Moved. Again.

As I think most of you know, we moved again. So we're back on the far side of the pond and are just unpacking and battling jet lag, and although the jet lag is mostly conquered, I think, the unpacking definitely is not.

We arrived back on this side of the ocean on Saturday night almost two weeks ago. We had a fairly easy go of it with the flights since two of them occurred when it was the middle of the night for us. All the girls actually slept a bit and other than that they just watched shows on the iPad or on the in-seat televisions. They colored a bit but really they were all about the television. And hey, when you're cooped up on an airplane with at least 200 other people, you do whatever it takes to keep your kids quiet. So major television-watching it was.

We spent Sunday in a fog, visited some friends for a few minutes to bum some internet and let people know we made it. Monday afternoon we started the apartment hunt. Wednesday evening we moved in. Yes, we got an apartment and signed all the necessary paperwork and got all of our things that had been in storage moved in in less than 24 hours, I think, which is a miracle for here. We actually wanted a different apartment (this one is huge and I'm a little uncomfortable to have locals over) but people didn't want to rent to us because of a few reasons: 1) we have three kids, and 2) we're Americans. Combine those with the fact that all the students just got into town and have rented almost everything up and our selections were quite limited. So we got this huge apartment and I'm very grateful for it.

We're still in the process of unpacking and cleaning, and tomorrow a man will come to put in some more kitchen cabinets and counter space. And hopefully soon it will start to feel like home and we'll have less and less work to do and more and more time to start living life.

In the meantime it's been in the 90s. The bigger girls and I all have colds. And our hot water has been out two of the seven days we've lived here. But we have a home. And for that I am happy.

3 Months Old

Dear Raye,

Yesterday you turned three months old. Every week that passes just has me in more disbelief that you're another week or month older…time is just flying. You are such a chill and content baby…I enjoy you so much. I think I enjoy you as a baby more than I did your sisters…with Lane I didn't know what I was doing and was stressed out all the time, and with Noel I was so tired that I was just…tired. I'm just enjoying you, soaking in your baby-ness.



Two days ago you rolled over for the first time, from your tummy to your back. You did it over and over and over again. And then yesterday and today you haven't done it even once. I think maybe you decided you didn't need to get out of tummy time after all. You're doing better at tummy time these days and even enjoy it and like to look at yourself in the mirror for a few minutes. You've laughed for us a few times, mainly when I tickle you beneath your ribs or when we're doing "dancing baby." You love "dancing baby," which is where I grab your hands in front of your chest and gently bounce you on our bed. The second I grab your hands you turn your head to the side and smile really big. It's so cute.


Your first dip in a swimming pool. You did actually enjoy it…Daddy just took too long to get a picture and you were getting tired.

Tonight we played "flying baby" where I laid on my back and held you up over me for a second or two and then set you back down on my tummy/hips. You just looked at me and talked and talked, and every time we did the "flying baby" thing you would just talk some more. I wish daddy had been here to see it because it was so. cute. You're just so cute. You love to sit in your bouncy seat and bash those spiders with your feet until they're clanging around and swinging like crazy.

Raye, you are a huge baby. You're not fat (although you do have some super cute chunk on your thighs!), you're just big. You're long and big and everyone always thinks you are five or six months old, not barely-three. A few weeks ago you wore an outfit that was Noel's…I have pictures of her wearing it when she was seven months old. You were like 11 weeks old. You're wearing 3-month or 3-6 months clothes pretty solidly now…I think you should be able to keep wearing them for at least another month or two.



You're nursing better now although you seem to have reached the "age of distractibility" already. You don't nurse well if we're in public or if your sisters are making a racket, but if it's quiet and just me and you then you nurse well, and quickly. You'll smile at me sometimes when nursing these days. It's sweet. You also have gotten where you prefer to sleep in your bed. You will fall asleep in the car seat, but usually only if the car is moving and you wake up as soon as the car door opens, or you'll fall asleep in the baby carrier, but you prefer your crib. We've been home a lot and allowed you to get comfortable there…things are about to get crazy again so you're going to have to learn to sleep other places pretty soon!


Snoozin' poolside.

And you're still not sleeping through the night. But it's alright…we're getting ready to move back overseas so I've just kind of been lazy in the "sleep training" department. I don't see the point in training you to sleep all night just to move you to a time zone that's nine or so hours off and then expect you to readjust. So we'll just work on that once it comes, and I'll just keep feeding you a couple of times in the middle of the night until then.


Usually after I nurse you at 6 a.m. or so I just let you sleep the rest of the morning in our bed.

Raye, you are such a sweet, easy-going baby. Everyone comments about how laid-back you are, and quite honestly you make me want to have another baby, like, yesterday. I love you so much and am enjoying getting to know you and can't wait to see what kind of a little person you're going to turn into.

Love,
Mommy