So far having four children is wonderful (sitting on the couch with my four beautiful girls around me) and chaotic (feeding Becca in the bathroom while bathing 3 girls), busy (playing chauffeur to gymnastics, choir, and school) and slow (it's amazing that it could feel slow but there are times where it really does! I love the days where we are home all day with nowhere we need to be and how we can just take things as they come throughout the day. In some ways it's even relaxing! Until it's traded for the chaos and business that we ALSO know so well!), loud (FOUR GIRLS!) and quiet (a sleeping baby, a sleeping toddler, and two kids playing out back), and just plain awesome (again -- FOUR GIRLS!).

Becca was born on St. Patrick's Day and Eric's mom got here the Saturday after to help out. From Tuesday to Saturday I called my sister Rae at least once a day to chat. It was SO good for me to have someone to talk to. Not about anything in particular. About everything really. But just to have someone I could call for moral support. Eric had school and rehearsals so it was pretty chaotic. We have been blessed with wonderful family and friends. We ended up with FIVE meals from friends in the area over the last few weeks.

We are so grateful Mom flew here to help us out!

She was such a huge help. Between juggling the needs of a newborn and three other girls, running errands, playing chauffeur to get Eric to school/rehearsal as well as the girls to gymnastics and choir, and feeding the crew and cleaning, we were both busy.

Autumn looks way too old in this leotard!

I'm starting to see glimpses that show she's closer to 10 than 2 -- eek!

Thank goodness Heidi's still only 5.

Even Heidi noticed the craziness in our schedule and took a nap one afternoon, at the same time as Becca.

But it's been a happy busy. And my mother-in-law is THE best mother-in-law in the world. I love her SO much. I feel sad for anyone whose relationship with their in-laws isn't what they'd like it to be. I have always been close to my in-laws and feel like they are second parents to me.

She went above and beyond in her service here as we adjusted to life with our newest arrival and found a new normal. My house is cleaner and more organized than it was before she came and I am SO grateful for her help! After moving mid-semester LAST semester as well as being 18 weeks pregnant and then four months later moving AGAIN, ALSO mid-semester and being 34 weeks pregnant, it has been a huge challenge to get everything unpacked, organized, and decorated. I was ecstatic when mom said she could help me with the projects and things I've had stacking up.

Eric's dad got here the 25th and they were both able to stay till the 3rd. We are so glad Dad was willing to help around the apartment too!

They were both really asleep!

But it didn't last very long...someone else wanted loves.

Eric has been so busy with school and the opera and we've had odd jobs waiting to be done. They were all things I could do too, but things that one adult could not do with three kids running around! So a huge thanks to Dad for putting up shelves for us, fixing our washer lid, and putting wheels on Esther's trundle bed!

"What? You took a picture in church?!"

I had to be sneaky and take a picture with my cell phone.

We didn't dress Becca in her blessing dress until sacrament meeting (not wanting to tempt fate and have her in it all morning with the possibility she'd spit up...) and I knew this was my only chance to get a picture of her with her daddy.

All four girls have now worn this blessing dress. (Thank you Gigi!)

Autumn, Heidi, and Esther giving their Easter dresses a trial run on Becca's blessing day.

We blessed Becca on the 29th. Eric was able to bless her and then led the choir's musical number and then had to leave to get to school in time for his call time. The Sunday matinee was his last performance of the opera A Midsummer Night's Dream. This is the first baby blessing Opa has been able to be part of. (Thankfully we've always been able to have family involved, but always great-grandparents and some great-uncles. Neat to have one of the girls' grandparents this time around!) It was beautiful. And a sister in the ward took notes in shorthand and will get us a copy after she writes it out. (My mom always does that when she is with us. Why is shorthand a dying art? It's so handy!) Becca did beautifully. She slept through the entire blessing and sacrament meeting. Phew!

And to finish off -- here are some pictures we've taken recently:

Opa taking a break and giving Guitar Hero a try. He had a blast! This man needs a Wii.

Esther doing one of her favorite things -- making a bed. She's lying on the piano bench.

Trying out the new swing. It's a hit.

Chilling with Daddy. She's asleep in this picture.

Watching the rain. I think this kept them occupied for a good hour!

Becca's 2nd bath.

Sleeping.

Too cool for words.

Too cute for words.

Three of my duckies in a row.