Baker Easter

A few photos from Jo's house:

Lauren and Bryce

Mason focued on his coloring!

Nicholas and Bryce

On Thursday, two of my teacher friends found out they were having boys!  One of them asked me to make "gender reveal" cupcakes for her to take to school to announce her news to everyone!  So lucky me, I got to know right away!  It was really fun to make them, and I think they turned out really well!!!

Filled with BLUE!!!

Topped with pink and blue frosting together!

Friday night there was a little teacher get-together.  Matt was so nice to let me go and have some "adult time" while he stayed home with the boys!  While I was there, he sent me this picture:

Apparently Mason thought Bryce needed a friend...

Saturday we hung around the house.  Matt spent his time in the garage/yard.  I spent my time helping my friend Maggie register for baby stuff!  Again, while I was out, I got another couple of fun pictures sent to me!

Bryce was in the stroller watching everyone.  Apparently it was quite boring...

And Zane decided to do a little reading on the swingset!

Saturday night we decided to brave the movie theatre with everyone!  It went well!  I couldn't resist taking a picture of my boys gearing up for the movie!

So cute!

Sunday morning we got ready and headed to Iowa.  We went to Matt's grandparents' house for our Easter dinner.  It was the first time some of them met Bryce!  The little boys had so much fun together!  Poor Mason...he's the littlest (of the big boys) so they were all ganging up on him saying "Run from Mason...here he comes..."  But I have to hand it to Mason...he doesn't let that stuff bother him!  He just goes on playing!

Hitting balloons into the air

I don't know how else to say it other than...Mason is obsessed with Papa Craig!  He now refers to himself as Craig or Papa.  When I call him Mason he corrects me...and tells me he's Papa.  He will say to Bryce "Papa's holding you now.  Do you want Papa?"  He says he is Papa Craig and Zane is Old Papa.  Honestly.  It's the cutest thing.  So Sunday as soon as Papa got there, Mason was in heaven!  At one point, when Papa was in the bathroom, Mason was laying on the floor, outside of the bathroom door, on his belly, just laying there waiting...like a loyal dog...

Look closely...left hand resting on Papa.  He didn't get too far away all day!

These boys just laughed all day long!

I don't think they'll be offered any dancing jobs soon...

Grandma Time!

It's hard to remember life without this precious face:

LOVE...HIM!

Don't get me wrong...life is crazy busy right now.  I can barely keep up with anything.  The third child really puts a new spin on life!  Thankfully Bryce is a great baby...I can't imagine how overwhelmed I'd feel if he were fussy!  He is just so full of love and is the happiest little thing!  I still can't believe they told me he was "inconsolable" in the hospital.  All it takes to console him is being held or a bottle!  This week we decided to finally do away with the swaddle!  It just made me too nervous with him rolling over!

PRECIOUS!  He's got a little stuffed giraffe/blanket tucked under his arm!

Daycare was closed on Friday...so Grandma Farmer came to the rescue!  She came Thursday night and stayed through Sunday!  She is amazing.  We love her!  I was able to go to work early Friday, spend some time with a dear friend after work, shop ALONE without hurrying, go to the races with Matt...and all because my kids have an amazing grandma who loves to be with them!  Okay, so I'm a little jealous that they pick her over me...and cry themselves to sleep missing her...but it makes my heart happy to know they love her so much!  What I wouldn't give to hug my grandmas!

Good thing the boys decided to get inventive today...cause the above 2 photos were the only 2 I had before these...(Matt was watering the yard...Zane started with the Elmo umbrella and was standing under the water.  Eventually he got too close and the water went under the umbrella.  That started a whole new game for them!  It was so fun to watch them!)

Using the umbrellas for protection

And then to get wet!

Oh my...he was SOAKED!

Not as wet...but having just as much fun!

Me and my shadow...

LOVE their faces on this one.  You should have heard them giggling!

Boys will be boys!  This just makes me smile!

Zane-isms

• Mason came home with a little notebook from Jo's house.  Of course Zane was jealous...he loves anything he can write, color, or create with!  So he was trying to coax it out of Mason's possession...and as he was figuring out what it was, he said, "Oh Mason.  This is a diarrhea!"  Okay, he meant diary...so we had to have a little chat on meanings of words!
• The other day Mason was just struggling...breaking down crying over the littlest things.  At one point we thought he was calmed down.  When he began crying again, Zane said, "Here he goes again..." without batting an eye!
 

Mason's Marvels

• Mason's nose was really running while on the farm.  All of a sudden he said to Papa, "We've got snot!"
• Today Mason was really attached to Matt.  He kept telling him he was "on Dad's team."  When I asked him why, he said, "Cause he's magic!"

An Easter and a Surgery Date

This week we had our appointment with the surgeon to check out Bryce's hernia and see if we needed surgery.  It turns out that's exactly what it is...and we have surgery scheduled for June 15th.  We were very thankful that it wasn't serious, that it will be an easy fix, and that it can wait until summer break.  I want to have plenty of uninterrupted time to take care of my baby!  I do NOT want to have to worry about going back to work when he still needs his mama!  We did get to have him weighed...he was 13 pounds, 14 ounces!

Hangin out at Jo's!

What a combo...sherpa sweatshirt and flip flops!

Mr Fix-it!

Brycers smiling at Jo!

This weekend we headed to Iowa for the Beggs Easter and Corbyn's 1st birthday party!  Hard to believe that cute little guy is a year already!  It was so good to see everyone...but a CHORE to get there!  It's not easy packing for 5 people...one being an infant!  And our 2 hour trip ended up being 3 hours and 45 minutes this time...so many stops!  Wishing all of our bladders could get in sync...

Mason helping Corbyn open his gifts

Here we were teasing Keaton about his two girlfriends!

Zane and Kenna playing with the train

Corbyn loved his lightning ride-on AND his blanket!

Bryce and Matt zonked out!

Mason and Papa...buddies!

THAT was good!

Mason out searching for his hidden eggs

There's one!

Zaner finding his eggs

It was SUPER windy yesterday!  Mason's bucket got away from him and he kept chasing it.  Just when he'd get to the bucket...it would start blowing away again!  Finally Chris came to the rescue and got the bucket for him!

Bryce and Great Grandma Beggs

Mason finding out what's in his eggs!

Saturday night there were bad storms in the Midwest.  Creston, the town I taught in for my first 2 years, was hit hard.  They had a tornado that caused lots of damage.  It's almost been a year ago that the tornado hit Lenox...so this has brought back many memories for those back home.  Please pray for everyone involved.  Lots of structural damage...but people are okay...so lots to be thankful for!

Happy Easter!!!

It's so fun to watch these boys interact with one another!  I overheard Mason say "I love you Bryce.  You are the best brother!"  Then he gave him a kiss.  I hope they are all best friends forever!

My boys hanging out watching tv!

Zane juggling while Mason and Bryce watch!

Hanging out!

So hard to believe this little guy is sitting up in the Bumbo!

Happy Bryce at Jo's

On Friday, Jo had an egg hunt at her house.  Mason was excited to take his new bucket I got him!

Mason with all of the eggs he found!

I got brave again and tried having Bryce sleep un-swaddled.  This was Thursday night.  He did OK...not marvelous...just OK...  Friday night when I tried putting him down un-swaddled he just couldn't get relaxed.  So...we are back to swaddling.  It's just a much more restful night for everyone!

Sweet baby!

Friday night we hung out with the Ottis family!  First we met for supper.  Then we headed to our house for an Easter "Egg"stravaganza!  Mary and I helped the kids dye eggs while Matt and Jason filled eggs with candy and glow sticks!  You got it...we had a glow in the dark egg hunt!

Zane, Mason, and Matt filling eggs

Jason, Madelyn, Bryce, Mary, Nora

The kids ready to dye eggs.  We used Kool-Aid as our "dye" and whisks to hold the eggs.  Both ideas off of Pinterest...both worked...however next year we'll skip the Kool-Aid.  The colors weren't the best.  But the whisks...amazing!

So then I asked them to all kiss...Zane and Madelyn couldn't stop laughing...Mason and Nora were very cooperative!  Leave it to our second children!

Waiting...patiently???

"When will this egg be ready???"

Mason getting ready to check his egg

All smiles Nora!

The gang!

I hear Jason loves to dye eggs...he only got one out of their hands...

The final result!  Smelled great!  However the colors weren't as vibrant as using regular dye!

Mason, Nora, Madelyn, Zane...all ready to hunt GLOWING eggs!

This photo doesn't do it justice at all...it was SO COOL!  As soon as the kids saw the yard full of glowing dots...they said "Cool!  Awesome!"

This is the kids lining up...check out their glowing baskets!

In this picture, Matt told them to wave an egg around in the air.  Too cool!

Can you believe that Bryce is 3 months old already?!?  I sure can't!  He has brought such joy to our family!  We love him dearly!  Here are a few of his stats:

• Eats about 4 ounces every 3-4 hours (STILL)
• Tracks our every move with his eyes!  Literally...moves his head to watch us wherever we go!
• Loves to watch his older brothers
• Smiles.a.lot.
• Still loves to be swaddled to sleep
• Loves to be held...but prefers facing out
• Has rolled over at home and Jo's
• Pushes himself out of bouncy seats...we have to be careful!
• Loves to sit up in the Bumbo or Jumparoo
• Wakes up once at night to eat a bottle

Bryce and Big Bird...3 months!

Sugar Bear!

Big Brother Mason with Bryce

Saturday afternoon Matt headed up to help Yancy with the racecar.  While he was gone, Mason had an AMAZING idea!  His "cows" were apparently hungry, so he fed them!  He wasn't sure what to feed them, but then he found a few things of oil and decided that was a good idea.  So he put the oil in a few buckets we had on hand and went out to his "field" (the driveway).  He THREW the "feed" to the cows.  When I got over freaking out and asked him why he did it, his response was, "But Mom, my cows were hungry.  I was just feeding them!"

"Feeding the cows"

Sunda was Easter and we didn't have any travel plans.  Luckily, Matt's parents and grandparensts also didn't have anything going on so they came down.  We decided NOT to tell the boys so they could be surprised!  And surprised they were!

Waking up to chocolate eggs all over the floor!

Happy Easter, Zane!

Happy Easter, Mason!

Happy FIRST Easter little man!

Big brothers showing baby brohter his goodies.

After breakfast...hanging out watching some cartoons!

Dinner!

Exercising!

CATCH!

Kissable!

FUN!

4 generations of Baker boys!

This weekend I read about the Olsen Family.  On March 17th, their lives were forever changed.  Julie's husband, Sheldon, took their son out in their canoe so that Julie could finish a book she was reading.  After all, it was her birthday.  Sheldon and Jace never returned that day.  I just feel compelled to share this story.  Julie needs prayers!  If you'd like to read more, click here:  http://sheldonandjulieo.blogspot.com/.

Stories such as these help me put things in perspective and remind me to SAVOR each moment...even those that are very trying, for it all could be over in the blinnk of an eye.  Be sure to hug your families tightly and always make sure they know how much they are loved!