Weekend Getaway

I must start with saying that doing two blogs in two weeks is quite an accomplishment for me these days. You're welcome. :)

Last weekend Ethan and I snuck away for a quick weekend getaway to the beach. I was a bit nervous to leave Evan behind with Nathan. Not because he couldn't handle it, but because we've never done that before. Evan and I have never split up with the kids. We usually do everything together as one big happy (or unhappy) family. Not this time. I was at a mom breaking point. I needed a getaway. I needed a change of scenery. I needed a change of pace. We've all been there. As dad's or mom's. At least with one kid, I would be needed half as much as I would be with two. The thought of that sounded pretty good. So off we went...

We are very fortunate that my parents have a place at the beach- which also means a free place to stay. We spent the ENTIRE day on Saturday outside. Going back and forth between the beach and the pool. Playing in the sand, jumping in the pool, jumping waves, and collecting sand crabs. Ethan wore himself out enough that he needed a mid-day nap, which meant even more time for ME on the beach. I say ME because that's a word I am unfamiliar with these days. Nothing is about ME. Nothing. I'm a mom. I give, and I give, and I give some more. I give until the point that there is nothing left inside me to give. So join me in understanding how amazing these two hours in my life was. A chair, the sound of the waves, and not ONE single person needing me. Sometimes it's nice to not be needed, and I needed that.

We later ventured into Beaufort with my parents, my sister and her husband, for a very yummy dinner on the water. Ethan did great and minded his manners (double bonus). After eating, we walked around town for a bit and did a little shopping.

Sunday was a mostly a repeat of Saturday except we had to leave early to get home. Evan and Nathan did great, and Evan did a fantastic job taking care of Nathan. I was eager to get home and hold my sweet baby.

It was just what I needed. Some vitaminSEA, some time with Ethan, and some re-charging. It's been a long summer, but we're almost there!

July

I sit here staring at this blank page, and I find myself struggling to know where to even start! I know it has been a while since my last post. I have been meaning to sit down and blog for weeks now, but there are just not enough hours in the day.

July...simply put was crazy. It was a very tough month for me. It started out great until we went to Nathan's 4 month check up where he received his normal round of vaccinations. One of those vaccinations is an oral dose of the rotovirus vaccine. For those of you not familiar, it is a live virus given to babies to help develop immunity to the rotovirus, which is a horrible gastrointestinal virus that used to put babies in the hospital.  He had his first round of this at his two month visit, with no problems. After he had the second round at 4 months, it gave him diarrhea for 15 days straight. I'm talking 6-8 times per day for the first week, then tapering down a bit the second week, until it finally went away at day 15. IT WAS TERRIBLE. In fact it was so bad we thought something else could have been going on. After MANY visits to the pediatrician, and several stool samples later, it was ruled that Nathan happened to have a more serious reaction to the vaccination. He had the worst diaper rash I had ever seen in my history of babies. We had many long nights, that lead to exhausting days, and more long nights. Most days felt like an eternity. It was so hard to do anything, or go anywhere. That whole thing shot my nerves into a million pieces. I was worried sick about Nathan. He had open sores on his bottom that hurt him so badly. It is a miracle that he didn't end up dehydrated, and thank goodness he didn't loose weight.  That little guy was such a trooper. I AM SO GLAD that is over. So...that was pretty much my month in a nutshell. Sounds fun, doesn't it?!

Anyway...Nathan has been better for about 2.5 weeks now, and we are moving onto better things! Despite the diarrhea, he has been busy learning new tricks, and trying new things. He has mastered rolling over onto his stomach, and then rolling back over onto his back. He had rice cereal for the first time, and now we have moved on to oatmeal. He really enjoys sitting in his highchair, and eats great out of a spoon. Dinners have been especially fun now because Nathan gets to sit in his highchair and join in on the fun....which he loves.

Ethan finished up two weeks of swim lessons, and has been enjoying his last few weeks of summer before preschool starts up again. He has been busy with play dates, and enjoying seeing his friends. He has been so great over the last few weeks about hanging out at home with momma and Nathan. I am so proud of him for being patient and understanding that its just too hot for Nathan to be outside. On the days it hasn't been too hot, we have been going to the park, and hitting golf balls at the driving range. His new favorite place is "Jumpstreet" which is a trampoline park. Ethan has been growing and changing right before my eyes. I have seen such a huge change in him over the summer. He has developed into a very independent little boy. I am so proud of him. It is hard to believe that in just a few short weeks he will be starting his LAST year of preschool.

Oh yeah. There is something else. In the midst all the craziness that has occurred over the last month, adjusting to being a mom of two, and feeling completely overwhelmed most days...there have been recent moments that make it all so worth it. I have noticed in the last couple of weeks the interaction between Ethan and Nathan. Nathan lights up when he hears Ethan. He smiles and laughs the most when his brother is around. Ethan will have conversations with him at the dinner table and it just warms my heart to see how much Nathan adores him. Ethan loves his brother, and has such a desire to play with him. It makes me incredibly happy.

I have a lot of pictures to share, because I wanted to be sure I didn't leave anything out! Starting at July 4th, and progressing from there.

Hopefully my next post will be sooner rather than later!

PS- Nathan turns 5 months old tomorrow! :)

Ethan really enjoyed the 4th of July party this year. He was finally big enough for sparklers. 

Love this one!

4 months old!

He enjoyed swim lessons, but golf is his game. 

Loving the high chair!

That cereal is good mom!!!

Rolling over to his tummy!

Sweet brothers this morning watching cartoons. 

Nathan- 3 months & Baptism

Nathan turned 3 months old on June 10th! So, he is officially 3.5 months...almost 4 months old. One thing I know for sure is that with the second child, time goes by even faster than with the first. It seems crazy to me that he can be that old already.

Nathan has been growing like a weed, and very busy learning new skills. He is grabbing toys and pulling them into his mouth, grabbing both of his feet, talking and cooing like crazy, chewing on his hands and sucking his thumb. He has recently found his "loud" voice-which basically means he likes to screech really loud just to hear himself. He loves to smile and he has giggled a few times. He has started to love bath time, and kicks in the water like crazy. He is squirmy and never stops moving (yes, I know I am in trouble!). He loves it when  you sit and talk with him, and he will quickly let you know that he wants your attention if you try to sneak away to do something else. He still enjoys being swaddled, and is still obsessed with his paci. His most favorite thing is his lovey. It instantly calms him, and he loves holding onto them. For the most part he sleeps through the night, except for during growth spurts. His most favorite place to be is outside, and he also enjoys watching his big brother.

Big sweet smiles!

First time in the Bumbo, and loving it.

First pool trip...it wore him out! :)

On June 12th, we had Nathan baptized at our church. It was the most wonderful day. Both our boys behaved perfectly during the service, and we enjoyed a special luncheon at our house afterward with all of our family. This day was perfect, and it meant so much to me.

Ethan just finished his last week of preschool camp, and loved it. He has two weeks of sports camp this summer, and swim lessons. The rest of the summer is camp mommy! :) I have been busy brainstorming fun ideas of things to do this summer. It is much harder with a baby in tow, but we will make the most of it. I keep reminding myself this is his last full year home with me until he starts school...a thought that quickly makes me tear up.

I hope everyone has enjoyed their start to summer, and has a very happy, and safe 4th of July!

Mother's Day and More

Sorry for the major lag in blog posts! Honestly, I usually either don't have enough time, or I'm too tired. Extra time is a high commodity these days, so I have to use it wisely.

I have so much to catch you up on, so let's start with Mother's Day.

It was a great day, actually it was a great weekend. It started off Friday night with a date night,  and then Saturday evening at our neighborhood cul-de-sac Kentucky Derby party. The Derby party was so fun. There was a hat decorating contest, lots of yummy goodies, horse betting, and mint juleps (of course!). I'm sad to report that I didn't win the hat contest, but it was fun decorating one. What was even better is that all the neighborhood kids played together, so we were able to go together as a family. Nathan did awesome, and Ethan had a blast playing with all of his favorite buddies. Then on Sunday (Mother's Day), Nathan decided to give me the best gift of all. He slept straight through from 10:30pm-6:15am!!! THAT WAS AWESOME. That hasn't happened again, so I am convinced he wanted to show his mommy how much he loved her. :)  The boys let me sleep in until 8, then went and got me Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. We went to church, which was wonderful since we hadn't been back since Nathan was born. Then, Evan's mom came over for a lunch cookout after church, and we sat on the screened in porch and enjoyed each others company. Evan had an ice cream cake made for me, so we had that for dessert. That afternoon, Evan watched the boys while I went to the gym. Evan also took all the baby feedings for the entire day, so that gave me a nice break. It was ALL of my favorite things in one day. My family, donuts, ice cream, hot dogs, and the gym. I think Evan tried to fatten me up a bit. :)

In other news...

I have started going back to the gym, and it feels fantastic. Our lives are starting to normalize more and more as the weeks go by. The gym was a huge part of my "normal" life, so it feels good to be back.

Nathan has settled into a pretty regular routine. He is still such a sweet, happy boy. He smiles all the time, and is really starting to coo and explore his voice. He is two months old (10 weeks) and he survived his first round of shots a couple weeks ago. He did great! Weighing in at 11 lbs, 15oz. WOW. He is my chub, but I love every sweet roll of fat on that body.

Ethan is finishing up his last week of 3 year old preschool. We've had the best year, and the best teachers. I can't believe another year of preschool is done! Stay tuned for last day of school pictures! Ethan also finished his last t-ball practice for the spring season. So far, he absolutely loves t-ball- it seems to be his "thing".  We also took Ethan to the zoo a couple of weeks ago. He had been asking to go for a while, and he had a blast. He is a nature and animal lover, so he enjoyed spending time looking at all the animals. Nathan did great, too. He slept most of the time and enjoyed riding in the ergo carrier. We packed a lunch, and had a nice family day.

We are venturing to the beach this weekend for Memorial Day. Ethan is super excited. He has been asking me about the beach since the first day of winter. This will be Nathan's first road trip, but I am sure he will do fine. :) Lots of quality family time is on tap, and it's always nice to have extra sets of hands to give these tired parents a break!

Hope you enjoy the pictures! Have a safe holiday weekend!!!

Derby Party!

Mother's Day morning with my boys!

Sweet smiles!

Nathan says "so what if I'm chubby?"

Two month doctor visit

The boys during our zoo picnic last week

My boys twining! Ethan is a proud big brother!

Nathan- One Month

First, I'd like to preface this post by saying this. All you people out there in the world who have two or more children, BIG kudos to you. Seriously, this is HARD work. It is NO joke.  I now see all of you in a different light- especially all of you people who I see with three or more kids. HOW in the world do you do it?! Lots of alcohol maybe? Lots of Jesus? So whatever your magic potion is, rock on with your bad self.

I have always promised honesty in my blog posts. So lets be honest. All you women out there with newborns who like to pretend it's the easiest thing you've ever done, you just keep pretending. I'm going to be real. It's hard, it's frustrating, it's exhausting. I am needed by someone 24 hours a day. I have zero time for myself. My husband and I have about 30 minutes a day together of un-interrupted time before one of us needs to get some sleep. I am so physically and mentally drained, I can hardly carry on a conversation with someone without my mind drifting into outer space. It is probably one of the hardest things I have ever done- being a mom of two.

It's a labor of love. Let me now say this. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love my two boys more than the world. I love being their mom. I love that they need me. It's a privilege that many don't get to experience. I do know that one day (probably way too soon) no one will need me. My house will be quiet. The laundry, cleaning, and cooking will all be caught up. I will miss these days. I am a proud mother of two, just an exhausted mother of two who is still on the learning curve.

With that said, my Nathan is already FIVE weeks old.

Nathan likes- being swaddled, snuggling, being warm, being outside, going for walks, eating, his bouncy seat and swing, grasping things, and his paci.

Nathan doesn't like- baths, being cold, having his diaper changed, being hungry, and sitting still.

For the most part he enjoys the car, unless he is hungry or spits out his paci.

At his one month appointment he weighed 9lbs 8oz. Compared to Ethan at this age he is huge! Nathan is already in 3 month clothes. He is my big boy!

He wakes up twice a night to eat. For the most part he is good at night, with the exception of a few nights here and there. He has started to take in the sights of his new world, and exploring things with his eyes open. I have enjoyed the feedings where his eyes are fixated on mine, and he spends time looking at my face.

As the weeks go by, we become more and more brave with outings and getting out into the world. In fact, today we had our first lunch together at a sit down restaurant as a family of four. It was a rewarding experience, especially since everyone behaved. :)

Everyday presents it's challenges, and it's blessings. We take on each day as it comes, good and bad. I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to all the friends, neighbors, and family who have helped us this last month. All the meals, support, and help have meant more than you could imagine.

To close, here are some pictures of the last couple weeks. Enjoy!

Nathan- weeks 1 & 2

I can't believe that Nathan has been in the world for two whole weeks now. It has flown by...which actually makes me a little sad since I know I will never get these moments back.

We are so fortunate that Nathan has a very laid back, sweet, easy going personality. He very rarely has bad fussy times, or even bad days. (I hope I'm not jinxing myself ) He eats every 3- 4 hours, and sleeps like a champ at night. We feed him twice a night, and he goes right back to sleep. I really can't complain about my average 5 hours of sleep per night...if I'm lucky, maybe 6. He loves to be snuggled, especially laying on daddy's chest. He loves to be warm, and swaddled, and he loves it when mommy sings to him. When he is fussy, I sing "Jesus Loves Me" and it calms him right down. He also really loves his paci. He does NOT like being cold, naked, or being changed. Other than that, he is a happy camper. He still sleeps quite a bit during the day, but I have noticed his wakeful times are increasing. I love to see his big baby blue eyes.

Nathan was born at 7lb 14oz. At his first doctor visit, he was down to 7lb 5oz. At his second week visit, he was back up to 7lb 12oz. He seems to be growing and gaining right on track.

 As for me, I am still recovering from surgery. My body still hurts like crazy at the end of the day. I am trying to figure out how to manage two kids, and I am still learning. However, I know that I am my own worst enemy sometimes. I stress over things that need to get done, and my type A personality can get a bit out of control sometimes. Letting things go is just hard for me. So, I do my best to manage the housework, and everything that comes into play with a newborn and four year old. Most days haven't been bad, but evenings can be hectic and sometimes down right insane. I have certainly had many moments of tears- but what mom doesn't? I honestly do great in the morning and until about 5 in the afternoon. Late afternoon and evening my tiredness takes over and I start to slowly loose my mind. :) Right now, that is not the best time of day for me.

To sum it all up, I feel like the last two weeks have been mostly good, with a lot of learning and adapting. Ethan is also adapting to his new role of being a big brother, and I know it is hard for him sometimes too.

Next week is my first week completely alone with both kids. Ethan also is on spring break from preschool next week...pray for me. :)

Enjoy these photos of our first two weeks home!

First moments home

First bottle at home

First doctor visit

Sweet baby blues!

Big brother snuggles

Today at two weeks old

Nathan James- Birth Story

Last Thursday, March 10th at 8:17am, we welcomed Nathan James to the world. Weighing in at a  whopping 7lb 14oz, and 21.5 inches long- he was a perfect bundle of perfection.

Most of you know that I had a planned C- section (with my favorite doctor) since my delivery with Ethan was very scary, and quite traumatic. I was really nervous about the surgery itself, since I remembered my last C-section being awful...throwing up, major drops in blood pressure, a lot of discomfort, and then of course the major blood hemorrhage. Overall, Ethan's birth experience was terrible, even though I still loved him just the same.

This C- section was totally different. The surgery went perfectly. I never felt nauseated, never threw up, didn't have any drops in blood pressure, and was able to actually enjoy the birth of my child. I will never forget the sound of Nathan crying when she pulled him out. I cannot explain to you how I felt during that moment. It was the most beautiful sound I think I've ever heard. I did not get to hear that with Ethan either, so it was a real treat. Then, they brought him around to show me my sweet baby. I could not believe how big he was, and how long! They took him back to a little room where they weighed him, and cleaned him up. When they came back in to the OR, they laid him on my chest for a few snuggles before they made their way to recovery.

Since my surgery was the first of the day, recovery was nice and quiet, with lots of attention. Nathan and I enjoyed skin to skin time (which was my favorite part) while they monitored me for a while.

Once we were in a room, things seemed to be smooth sailing from there. I could not wait for Ethan to come that afternoon to meet his brother. Once he got there, he was so excited, and did really well. I was really proud of him!

We settled into a routine quickly with feedings, and cuddles. I was up walking around the next day as much as I could tolerate. By day 2 and 3, I was walking around much more. I have healed much faster with this delivery, and feel like I had less pain overall.

Nathan has brought me so much joy. He is such a good baby, so sweet, and so laid back. We have bonded so well, and my heart just overflows with happiness.

I am so thankful for a healthy baby- I don't think I can thank God enough for this blessing he has given me. I could not have asked for a more smooth and perfect delivery, recovery, and transition.

Welcome to the world sweet boy.