Well, it's obviously been a very long time since we've updated you on our three. We thought maybe you would like to see what we have been up to rather than just reading it. We hope you enjoy these videos.
Braden was the first to start walking. He was so proud of himself and expected us to clap every time he took a few steps.
Kayla was walking soon after Braden. She loves to follow us around and always seems to be right under our feet.
Daniel was the last to walk. He was always in such a hurry that he pretty much went straight to running. And he still tries to walk so fast that he seems like he is always on the verge of losing his balance.
Rich was spinning this toy and all three of them thought it was hilarious.
The babies love their Diaper Time. This has become somewhat of a nightly ritual. They seem to come more alive the less clothes they have on.
This December encompassed a lot of firsts for the Hess family: first birthday for the babies, first Christmas at home together, and our first road trip! Rich's brother Dave got married on January 1st so after much preparing, packing and stressing on my part, we were off to Chattanooga for a week. It was a wonderful week and the wedding was absolutely beautiful. Rather than describe every part of the journey, here is a summary of our trip in pictures.
The open road before us...
It was an almost ominous thought, making the 11+ hour trip to Chattanooga with 3 babies (4 if you count cousin Mya who was in the other car caravaning with us). We stopped at a hotel on the way down to break up the trip, which made the driving more tolerable for everyone. Overall I was pleasantly surprised at how well the babies did. Their only source of entertainment was their uncles riding along in the back, who did an INCREDIBLE job of keeping them happy. I again can't thank them enough!
Kayla & Braden: Road Warriors!
This was the babies' first night away from home, and they seemed to really have fun in the hotel.
Catching up with old friends
We got to visit with old college friends while there, which was so fun since we all actually had new kids to introduce! The babies made fast friends and had a blast playing with new toys. Thank you dear friends for allowing us to visit, it was SO wonderful to see you all!
Michelle & Bob and their kids.
Laini & I with all our kids. Quite the brood!
Dan & Shanna and their kids.
Karen & Gerald and their kids, technically they're family, but friends too of course!
Little Jonah (Laini's son) was so sweet with our Kayla, it was so cute! Doesn't it look like this could be a prom picture?
The Main Event: Dave & Heather's Wedding!
Of course the whole reason for the trip was for Dave & Heather's wedding. The babies came to the church for the wedding, but thanks to a wonderful babysitter, were able to play in the nursery during the actual ceremony. It was fun to get them all dressed up and we couldn't stand how cute they looked. The wedding was beautiful and Heather looked radiant. We're so excited to have her as part of the Hess family and officially be Aunt Heather!
We can hardly believe it, but we now have three one year olds! The year seems somewhat of a blur for obvious reasons. In fact, we were just looking back at old pictures and barely recognize our 3 here, last year on Christmas Day.
What a difference a year makes! Every minute of the last year has been an absolute joy. Kayla, Braden & Daniel are thriving and growing and we couldn't be more thankful. Below is a snapshot of a little party we had for them last weekend. It was their first time having sugar and boy did they love it! A great day of celebration. All we can say is God is so good! Happy Birthday sweet babies, Mommy and Daddy love you!!
Opening Birthday Gifts
Party Hats!
Ready for Cake
Birthday Cake made by Mimi
Let them eat cake!
And the mess begins! It took no less than 10 helpers to clean up, but boy did they have fun!
I wish I could put into words what the holidays mean to me this year. I am continually amazed at God's goodness and faithfulness to us. What a difference a year makes! Life for us has changed completely, but in the best possible way. He has truly turned our mourning into joy! (Psalm 30:11) In reflecting on our joy, I want to give thanks for my 3 babies. They are the biggest blessing we could have asked for. Here's a brief update:
Kayla
Kayla is now a little over 17 lbs and continues to be little but mighty! She is quite independent, often playing by herself and being perfectly content to do so. She is crawling all around and pulling up to stand on anything she can find and I think she is quite proud of herself. Kayla also loves to look at herself in the mirror and cries when I take her away from it (look out, vanity is starting early!). She also loves taking baths and I think would be content to sit in water for hours at a time. She is a very good sleeper, naps like a champ and is rarely fussy. But be warned not to take something from her that she wants because she remains our loudest screamer. So little, but boy does she have a pair of lungs on her! She recently started giving us kisses, which is so cute I could cry just typing this. We love our baby girl and are thankful for the sweet, gentle spirit that she is.
Braden
Braden is our big, cuddly boy weighing in at a hefty 22 lbs these days. He is also the tallest of our group so he can plow over the rest pretty easily. Braden is also crawling now (he was the latest bloomer on this), and he's standing too and will cruise around the coffee table or go from table to chair. At times we've even spotted him briefly standing on his own. Yikes! As you may have guessed, being 22 lbs, Braden also loves to eat. He cries almost every time I say "all done". He loves to play with Daniel and the two of them often travel around getting into all kinds of trouble. We tend to joke that Braden has also been through a voice change already because he has the lowest voice for a baby that I've ever heard. It cracks us up! He recently started waving bye-bye, another one of those too cute for words moments. And one of my favorite things about Braden is that he is our biggest snuggler. If I'm having a bad day, my son will always snuggle up with me and give me a hug and as any mother would know, that just makes everything better.
Daniel
Daniel is our ball of energy. The boy is like an energizer bunny and plays hard, whether he's had good sleep or not. I often find myself chasing him down, because he is in fact our instigator. Daniel is about 21 lbs now and has really become more slender, probably due to all those calories he's burning! He has been crawling for a while now and stands like Braden does, only I fear that he will be walking in no time. He has no fear! Daniel continues to crack us up with his "growling". He started growling months ago and we thought it would be just a phase, but he continues to growl at everything; his toys, his stuffed animals, grandpa snoring. :) I don't know where he got it, but it's adorable. Daniel is our comic relief, very vocal and laughs a lot. It is the best to tickle him and just see him writhe around, just plain hysterical. He brings smiles to our faces every day!
A few years ago, we began a tradition of apple picking. It started just the two of us with my parents and then expanded to include good friends. For the last few years, we would wonder what it would be like to bring our own kids there and often felt like that day would never come. Well, here we are a few years later taking our three babies apple picking! It was a wonderful day and we enjoyed every moment. The babies also did great considering what a long day it was. They loved looking around and watching everyone. We were quite a production with our whole crew, which included 8 adults and 6 kids, but it was so much fun. Here's a snapshot of our day! :)
Braden & Daniel with a bag full of apples
It was a great day with good friends
Grandpa & Grandma had a great time with the Grandkids
Kayla was full of smiles all day long
The boys hanging out with their friends
Along with apple picking, here are some other recent pics of our cuties.
