Cuddling up

Grayson's new favorite activity is going up to my bed, cuddling up under the blankets with me and watching TV. It's becoming my favorite time of the day. Nolan is in bed sleeping & it's just some Grayson and Mommy time. These are the moments to hold onto, who knows what the years to come will bring!

Nolan & Toys

Nolan currently has a crazy obsession with a green spiral cat toy. He carries it around in his mouth like, well, a cat... and he talks to it and laughs at it. Very funny. And at 10 months he still loves that dinosaur that plays music and bounces balls around. We could turn him into a commercial for the damn thing, I know it.

Clapping!

Tonight, without any prompting, at 10 months and 4 days old, Nolan started clapping. So cute and awesome!!

9 Month Appointment!

22.4 lbs & 29 inches tall.

Growing like a weed!

He has 6 teeth, he still likes to wake up once a night to eat. He does sleep well, going to bed between 6pm-6:30pm and sleeping until between 6-6:30am. 12 hours with a small minute wake up? Not too bad!

Grayson & Nolan are amazing together. Grayson still loves to make Nolan laugh and Nolan will laugh harder for Grayson then anything else in this world.

Eating pretty much anything you give him. He is on Cherrio's, fruits in small pieces, even regular food in you make them small enough! He will even steal some of Grayson's fruit loops and eat them. No, I don't want to make it a habit but that 9 month old is fast!

He crawls really fast now, and loves to stand push around toys, but no signs of walking on his owe yet.

His favorite toy is a ball. Any ball really, as long as it's small enough to hold and chew on, that will keep him busy for a good 10-15 minutes without needing someone else to play.

And Nolan has already taken to Yo Gabba Gabba. Laughs and smiles right along with Grayson. What can you do? The first child is crystal but the second is definitely more tupperware like. You do what you have to do and you know they will be fine!

Grayson is in pre-school now and loving it for the most part. Biking riding, playing "guys" with his castle, and hitting balls with little bats are favorite games of the moment. Green is still his favorite color, and he can make anyone laugh.

They are 2 very different babies with 2 very different personalities and they fit together very well. I'm a pretty lucky mom most days :)

8 Months Old

Nolan is 8 month old today! My little crawler and "da-da" speaker is just flying to the 1 year mark. Exciting really.

Grayson and Nolan are getting closer by the day. Nolan is very interactive already & Grayson loves to play right into it.

I don't want to forget how freaking happy Nola is when he wakes up in the morning. He is just moving all around his crib, he couldn't be happier to see anyone who wants to hang out with him. The problem? This normally starts between 4-5am. That I could do without. I'm starting to just drag through my days here. It's terrible. I'm going to have to remember this for when he is a teenager & I can't get him out of bed for anything.

Happy 8 months to my baby boy!!

I'm a Big Kid....

Grayson is in underwear at night! Full blown potty trained. Friday night he wouldn't get into a pull up, and he made it all night with no accidents. Then the same Saturday, Sunday & now Monday night. 4 nights in a row, I think it's safe to say he is trained.

He does get up in the middle of the night 1-2 times to pee, but many adults do, so I guess it's okay for a 3 year old.

My big boy is growing up!

We have a crawler!

Nolan turned 7 months over the weekend. And over the weekend he has perfected his movements! He is now crawling & really, dragging himself around by the arms, all over the place. He is a quick one too. 

He really wants to just be where ever Grayson is, so he sees him & just has to get there. Granted, Grayson moves like lightning compared to Nolan, so by the time Nolan makes it to where he wants to be, Grayson has hopped to 12 different places, but Nolan is happy to be on the move with his big brother! 

Nolan is also getting into more foods. Mum-mums and little puffs are becoming a household favorite very quickly. 

Apparently 7 months is when we are going to do all of our growing - his top 2 teeth are broken through & coming down now. A lot of changes here in our house!

All About Grayson

This past Saturday was all about Grayson day! It also marked a first for him.

We took him to the movies for his first movie in the movie theater! That movie was Despicale Me 2. He enjoyed the experience. There were a few moments of restfulness, but he is a 3 year old!

Later that day we did a Mommy & Me afternoon at Sesame. That was a good time too. We jumped around to lots of rides & just had a good time. Not unexpectedly he crashed that night in bed.

Not everyday is perfect, but it's days like that which make being a mom the best job in the world.

At 6 Months....

Nolan is a rolling fool. You lay him down & he goes from side to side like it's his only job.

He is eating solids like crazy. He gets into his highchair & he opens up wide, waiting. Once he is done he just opens again, "Keep shoveling it in Ma!!"

He loves to "talk" and make noises.

He loves his brother dearly. Anything Grayson does near Nolan is the best thing in the world to him. The belly laughs never stop when Grayson is around!

We have started the fun process of un-swaddling him at night. We are 2 nights in and it is going alright. Up next is weening him from any night feedings & sleep training! Wish us luck.

We are moving him out of the infant car seat already because my little chunker is already too big for it (weight wise).

The little smiles - oh they are amazing.

6 month doctor appointment is next week, can't wait to hear the weight!

Exhausted

Because Nolan has been sleeping like crap for, like a week. We went from one wake up, to two, to like seven... but now I know why.

Two. Two is the number of bottom teeth that are now trying to force their way through my little 5 month olds mouth.

I'm ready for them to come up so maybe I can get some more sleep. I'm so very tired.

A First For Nolan Today!

A first that was definitely not a fun one. We got the first, "your kid is sick & you have to come get him", call. 3 months basically to the day at school so I think we did good!

And I rushed him to the doctor at 6:15pm so that I could get a note so his butt could go back to school tomorrow. Honestly, daycare acts worse than a first time mother when it comes to sick babies. They are in daycare, what do you think is going to happen? 

Basically the doctor said it's likely just a viral thing & we can drop formula and do pedialyte only for 24 hours and things will slowly get back to normal for him. No throw up, no fever, no reason not to be in school! So I have our note in hand and he will be back in the nursery in the AM. 

Thankfully I have a very understanding and forgiving boss when it comes to this stuff. I don't like to lose time at work when it's not really needed though, and today I felt it wasn't really needed. 

Well - onwards! Hopefully the next first will be a better one.

First Trip to the Dentist

June 1st was a first for Grayson. I started prepping him for the trip to the dentist earlier in the week, explaining we were going so that they could count his teeth and make them clean. I know I was more nervous about it then he was.

See, I do my best to get Grayson to brush his teeth, but honestly if I get a toothbrush in his mouth once a day for at least 1 minute I call it a victory. I know that isn't the best, and I do try my hardest but sometimes I do get defeated on this one.

Saturday morning came & I also had a 6 month appointment. I went back first and normally I am a wreck just to go myself. I hate visiting the dentist despite the fact that I haven't had a true cavity since childhood. Since I was so worried about Grayson's appointment, mine was the breeze that it most likely always is, and before I knew it I was going to bring Grayson back to the chair.

He was a champ. He was a little nervous to get into the chair at first, but once he was in he didn't miss a beat. He let the hygienist count and clean his teeth. He let her do the fluoride treatment. He even spit out his water like a pro (which is a pain in the neck to get him to do at home, all he wants is to drink it). And then Doctor Jason came in.

Grayson opened up wide and the doctor found no signs of decay or cavities, or even maybe cavities. Apparently my kid has teeth of steal. Awesome. I was so relieved. Really, it's like a test for the parents when the kids have an appointment at such a young age, you know the 3 year old isn't remembering to brush 2 times a day!

So, that's Grayson's story of his first trip to the dentist! We all survived.

We Have a Roller

I'm going to name Mother's Day 2013 (5/12/13) as the day Nolan is officially a roller. 4 months and 2 weeks old. He had been rolling back to belly off and on for a few days now, well really weeks, but it was no where near consistant.

We can say that no more.

He is a rolling fool. Back to belly like he has been doing it since he was born & this morning he even started rolling belly to back. But you can see that still kind of scares him. Too cute.

Let me tell you when it isn't fun. When he wakes up at 3am and I'm trying to change his diaper & get him re-swaddled. Then I'm just like, "COM'ON KID! LET ME DO THIS AND GO BACK TO BED."

But then he smiles and coos at me and my heart melts. He knows how to work his Momma in his old age.

I'm nevrous about this rolling because this kid has been dying to be mobil since the beginning. I'm fearful that he will realize, quickly, that he can just keep rolling and move around the room.

We never really baby proofed much with Grayson, I think it might be a different story this second time around!

In other Mother's Day news we gave Nolan carrots for the first time. Think he liked them?

I Don't Want To Forget....

Nolan is now 4 months and a handful of days old. He is growing daily, at his 4 month appointment he was 17 lbs 8 oz, 26 3/4 inches long. Big baby!

He is starting to roll, he has gone back to belly a handful of times, never belly to back, but he loves to hang out on his side any chance he gets just rolling back and forth. Pretty funny to watch.

He loves to grab my face. He just reaches up and pulls me to him, doing his baby screech the whole time. Over and over, it never gets old for him.

He enjoys rolling around on the floor with a stuffed yellow dog that is literally the same size as him. It's humorous.

Grayson is squarely in the "why" faze. One million times a day we are asked, "why?" about everything and anything. The whys are always followed up with more whys. It's never ending.

He is also very into reading and understanding what all the signs say while walking or driving around. He is getting the hang of a bunch of them. He knows the man with the line through him means you can't walk there. He knows the railroad crossing sign. He knows his stop signs and school zone signs too.

Thankfully he is finally asking what words say as well. He has a firm grasp on his letters & we are now taking that to the next level and getting him to realize that the letters come together to make words.

My kids are learning and growing all day every day. It's challenging and exciting. I can't wait to do more!

My growing baby

This past weekend Nolan still had his cough pretty bad & I finally decided it was time to head to the doctors office to make sure it wasn't in his lungs or causing an ear infection.

16 lbs 11 oz. That's how big my littlest is! He really is a little monster.

Thankfully the cough wasn't really more than scary sounding - not in the lungs, or the ears, and my kid is healthy otherwise. She told me the cough could last week & we are doing the nebbie 2 times a day to try to help break up the phlegm that gets stuck in his throat.

The tear duct is still clogged. My poor little mister. But he is still as happy and jolly as ever!

He is a big boy now!

So Sunday Grayson finally started to pedal his bike like a big boy! He now is the proud owner of a cute little spiderman bike from Toys R Us. Watching him figure that out was just awesome. He was so proud of himself, and in turn I'm amazingly proud of him.


We had a pretty fun weekend. Grayson & I went to Longwood Gardens to meet up for a play date. He really enjoyed running around, seeing the tree houses and smelling the pretty flowers. This pink flower was his favorite for all of about 10 seconds.

We also went to Core Creek Park & hung out by the creek for a little bit. It was cold out, but once he found his big stick he was a happy boy. 



A funny Grayson moment from this weekend happened last night. He was out back playing by himself when he comes running into the house, "MOMMY! I HEAR A NUT PACKER OUTSIDE!!" Um. What?! I'm laughing so hard I almost fall off the couch while I'm trying to figure out what he really meant. Took him saying it two more times when I realize - he means Woodpecker.

See, a week or so ago the 2 of us were at the park by our house & I heard the woodpecker and had him listen for it. This time he was so excited that he heard it all by himself I just had to go out and take a listen myself.

3 year olds really do say the darnest things!

I think it's time he moved

Nolan is just over 3 months old & he is still in our room at night. This wasn't the original plan. The original plan was to move Nolan out of our room around Grayson's 3rd birthday/a small amount of time before I headed back to work.

I have been back to work for a month now.

We didn't do it because he was sleeping well. Going from 7pm to 4am and then going right back to sleep until 7-7:30am. But that is changing. The last few nights he has been getting up 3 time! 6:30-7pm to 1am, then up again in the 3am hour, then again around 6am. It's just too much. I think maybe he needs to move on to be more comfortable.

So, I'm ready to kick him out. I still have my worries, number 1 being, "will he wake Grayson up in the middle of the night?!?" I just don't know how to get around it though. He can't sleep in my room forever!

We are only a few weeks away from working through these middle of the night feedings. Sleep training is going to be just around the corner. I'm hoping by 6ish months he doesn't need to eat to get back to sleep.

I have a lot of hopes, let's see how these all pan out. Dealing with sleeping issues is the worst part of parenting in my opinion.

Easter 2013

This is the first year that we really "celebrated" Easter with Grayson. I never did a basket or an egg hunt with him, I never really saw the point. We aren't religious in anyway. We aren't even those people that only go to church for the highest of holy days like Christmas and Easter. But this year I got to thinking - he is going to be in real school before we know it (Sept 2015, but that's a story for another post). Is he going to be the only kid there with nothing to talk about this time of the year? I don't want him to be that kid.

So, I went all out this year. He got a cute little basket with a couple of toys and a new pair of crocs for the summer. He gots his favorite candy (Hershey Bars & Jelly Beans). He got the egg hunt that had quarters and a couple of dollar bills in it. He had a good time.

Nolan - well, Nolan got to wear a cute little outfit with bunnies on the feet. Next year he can get more involved. This year was more about Grayson. We made cupcakes the night before & that was after a day of Grayon geared events. It was nice. Grayson loves to make cupcakes.

These are the days that are meant for long lasting memory making. I don't want him to just think about Easter as the candy & money holiday - I want him to think about it as a time that he spends with his family. His parents & his brother. No running around, no pleasing everyone else, just enjoying in eachothers company. While this year we did make it to both grandparents houses, I'm hoping to start a new kind of tradition starting next year.

I think I got lost in the mindset that I didn't want to be the mom that made this a full blown 2nd Christmas for my kid(s). In doing that I lost the reality that I can make Easter whatever I want it to be.

He is 3 months old

So this happened yesterday. My littlest turned 3 months old! He is still a happy baby that sleeps well for me at night. He has his first cold right now, but it doesn't seem to be slowing him down at all.

When he gets home at night we sit on the couch together and he "talks" to me for a while. He gets so excited when I answer him and he just keeps going. It's pretty wonderful. He is very animated.

We found one of Grayson's favorite toys from when he was this age - Elsie the cow. Nolan thinks she is wonderful. If you pull her out and show her to him he gets the funniest grin on his face. He is really starting to grab things and use his hands.

He is doing well with his schedule, he enjoys daycare and over all 3 months suits him well. He is still a chunky monkey & loves to eat.

He loves when we play Wheels on the Bus (using his arms or legs) and Row Row Row Your Boat.

To see his smile is one of the reasons I jump out of bed in the morning.

Being the mom of 2 is pretty awesome!

The Medicine

Grayson has terrible eczema. He has since he was a baby. Nothing over the counter worked, and as he got older he would just scratch and scratch causing sores & infections and just be terribly unhappy a lot because of all this.

We saw a dermatologist and we started trying all types of perscriptions. Things worked, but nothing made it go away forever. We were advised many times this is something that can't be cured and he has to grow out of it. First it was, "many kids grow out of it by 2." Then that date past... then it was 4, which we haven't hit yet, but it's now up to 6 years old. "Most kids grow out of it by 6 years old." Okay then.

Besides all the creams to try to clear it up and to try to curb the itching we also do Benadryl 1-2 times a day & of course my son also has allergies so he gets Claritin. We just started the Claritin in a chewable pill form instead of the liquid, and basically it tastes like a little piece of grape candy to him. I think he looks forward to me handing that to him every day.

Last night he was itching more than normal, and when I call him on his itching he always tells me, "But there are bugs! I have to get the bugs!" I feel bad for him, I really do. But I have to try to stop the itching so he doesn't get open sores, because this happens a lot more then it should.

"Do you need some Benadryl? You are itching a lot."

"No mommy, no medicine.".... then a long pause. "No Benadryl, I want Claritin."

My 3 year old can name his drugs. I don't think a 3 year old should be fluent in the names of drugs.

I hope he does grow out of this soon, otherwise I think I've got a growing pharmaceutical rep on my hands.

Making the most of the time we have

Lately I just feel like we are going going going when the weekends hit. Even if it's something fun like the aquarium, zoo or bowling (all of which we have done in the last month), I still feel like we are constantly moving.

This weekend was different. There was a lot of laying around and just doing nothing. It was really nice honestly.

Sunday I wanted to try to get some "Grayson and Mommy" time in because I have really been feeling disconnected from him. It's hard - trying to balance a 3 year old and a 3 month old. I need to know Nolan is taken care of and happy but at the same time I need to know Grayson feels loved.

So, Grayson and Mommy went food shopping Sunday afternoon. He was an angel. We ended up leaving with animal crackers, a balloon and a "cupcake" (it was really a red velvet muffin with a little icing drizzled on top).

After we got home from there and had a little snack and relaxed, off to the park just Grayson and Mommy went! We were there a while playing on the swings, running around, sliding (yes, even Mommy!) and just having a good time 3 year old style.

After it started to get chilly we headed back home and Grayson crashed on the couch for a little while.

After Nolan was in bed we played board games, watched the fish (while eating goldfish, a strange but fun new pass time for Grayson) and just danced around the living room a little.

It was nice to just be the 2 of us for a bit. I didn't realize how much I missed it until today. And while it isn't something we can do all the time, it's something to make sure I plan in, even if it's just once a month - I know Grayson will take a lot away from the day. And so will I.

Sometimes it's hard

Basically every Tuesday, right now, is hard. My husband works Tuesday nights, so it's just Mommy and the kids. When it was just one, it wasn't a big deal. We enjoyed ourselves. It was nice most of the time.

But right now, with Nolan being almost 12 weeks old, he is a crank pot from 5pm until when I get him to bed (the latest being 7pm). So, I get to daycare about 5:10ish & Nolan is already crying. He might have been a perfect angel all day, but somehow his tiny little body knows that the clock has hit 5pm and he just starts crying. This is what the doctor's that don't have to deal with our kids like to call the "witching hour". Hour my ass.

Now, I believe the daycare teacher - I've seen it myself, the happy smiling Nolan all day, even if he doesn't feel like napping well, he really is happy all damn day. It's a light switch.

So, anyway. I have Nolan - crying so hard it looks like it hurts. His face is the color of a granny smith apple, and he gets so upset he can't even breath. It's terrible.

When I'm not alone it doesn't get that bad because I can just walk away from my 3 year old and daddy will be there to make sure he doesn't kill himself by trying to do something like jump off the top of the fridge. But when I have Grayson asking for dinner and milk and for this TV show or that toy... then the cats that I completely forgot to feed 45 minutes ago when I actually walked in the door up my butt... and the screaming Nolan - a mommy can lose her mind. I get anxious as the clock gets anywhere near 5pm on Tuesdays. Normally I'm itching to run out the office door.

Last night I put Nolan to bed at 6:30. It took less than 10 minutes for him to fall asleep. You know you did the right thing when that happens. He is still sleeping like a rock star & only wakes up once a night (around 4:30am) for a feeding and then he will sleep until 7-7:30am. It's amazing. I then got to sit down with Grayson and watch a show with him. Then we read about 200 books until I couldn't let him push bedtime off any more. I still read one more book to him while he laid in bed. It turned out to be some nice quality time with him.

I know it's not forever. Eventually Nolan will become more human and be able to stay awake until well after the evening news begins. But for now I'm going to just imagine the finish line with a giant bottle of wine jumping up and down behind it.

8pm on a Tuesday night can't come fast enough!

New Tradition?



Yesterday was St. Paddy's Day. And while I don't have an oz of Irish in me, my boys do. Grayson wanted nothing to do with the new Hulk shirt that I bought him for the day. He wore green, but nothing new like his baby brother.

We took Grayson bowling for the first time! It was funny, and fun. The first ball he kicked down the lane. I'm not sure why he thought he was suppose to kick it but he did. Thankfully he barely made contact with, so it was funny & not painful like it could have been!

From there he pushed the ball down the lane with his Daddy and enjoyed it every time. About 1/2 way through the 1 and only game we played he was over it and so we ordered chicken fingers to keep him occupied with we finished our game. Steve bowled the rest of Grayson's frames & Grayson ended up kicking butt.

I can see us doing that again with him, I would love to make that a family tradition, just so we can have something to associate the "holiday" with, since overall it isn't a big one and requires no gifts! I love days we can have moments to share instead of gifts to buy.



It's Friday!

Woke up to snow this morning. What a pain in the ass. This is my work parking lot. After it took my 35 minutes to get here - when I can make it in 7. We weren't expecting anything more than a dusting. No roads are treated, everyone is sliding everywhere & the snow is definitely sticking to the roads. The "experts" claim that it will stop around lunch time and the sun will come shining through. We shall see about that.

This weekend is suppose to be pushing 60 both days! We decided to become a member to the Philly Zoo. I'm excited. We only have to go 2 times to make the pass worth it, that is definitely do all. This Sunday will be number 1! I'm hoping we make it a bunch of times. They are open year round, so when we get a random nice day in say, November, we can just shoot down 95 and go.

The day that we don't go to the Zoo we are going to hit up a State Park with play ground. I don't know which one yet, we have 2 to choose from. I want to have Grayson outside as much as possible this weekend. I feel so bad he has been stuck in the house for ages really. At least when he is with me. I can't have Nolan outside when it's cold out. That's just not nice. I don't care how much blankets he has on him, he can't run around to help keep warm.

But we will all be getting fresh air this weekend! I might even try to open the house up for a little bit.

A Gift From My Boys

I got flowers from my boys at work! There were a, "we know it's hard to not be home with your baby!!" gift, I love them. Definitely helped to brighten my day.

I'm back at work

Today was my first day back in the office, and it wasn't bad at all. I remember with Grayson being so freaked out about going back and being back.

That was not the case this time. I got up and got everything ready for today. I got washed up and dressed. I kissed everyone goodbye, didn't shed a tear. I left a few minutes after the boys did & I went to get coffee.

I got to the office and just fell into my old ways. It was great to catch up with everyone. Sitting down to work kept me busy the entire day. I took a break to have lunch with some co-workers. It was an awesome first day back.

I miss my babies. The whole day. But I honestly can't imagine that being all I did. I give props to the stay at home moms. It's a life I can't even imagine living. I know with Grayson it's what I thought I wanted. Now I know that working makes me a better mom.

I have more patience for my kids. I cherish the time I do have with them - even during the tantrums and crying spells. Hearing Grayson talk about all the fun he has at school, and all his friends. It makes me glad that he gets to explore the world "on his own". Even at 3. It makes my heart melt when he runs at me when I pick him up from school, or that he is waiting for the front door for me if he gets home before I do. The highlights of my day.

To hear how much my father & mother in law enjoy the day (each) they have with Grayson (and now both the boys) makes me happy that we do that - give them each their own personal time with their grandchildren.

It's not perfect. But no way is perfect. Every option has its flaws. Every possibility has it's pros. It all comes down to what is best for ones family and sanity.

Back to life - back to reality! Don't think I would have it any other way.

Growing Babies

It was Grayson's 3 year appointment & Nolan's 2 month appointment yesterday. It went very well! My children are both right where they should be on the "charts".

Grayson is 37.5 inches tall & weighing in at 33 lbs.

Nolan is a long 24 inches and a crazy 14 lbs 4 oz. Insane for a 2 month old, but he is a happy baby, so no complaints here!

The down side was the 2 shots Nolan needed. He cried - just like last month - but he calmed down quickly. He has slept a lot more, even for him, the last 2 days. I actually put him down to bed at 9pm tonight. 2 hours earlier than we have been putting him down, I'm very curious to see how tonight goes.

After the doctors appointment (Steve was off from work) and we took Grayson to Chuck E Cheese again. I had such a great time with him last week that I really wanted Steve to enjoy the experience too. So we went there for lunch and games. We all had a blast. Nolan slept through most of it, of course.

Then we came home and Grayson crashed on the couch around 5pm. That's how awesome of a day he had. It was funny to see him asleep like that. And of course Nolan slept a lot of the night too.

Today was my last official maternity leave day, Monday I am back to the grind. I'm excited and not all at once. Tomorrow I'm taking the morning as "Mommy Time". I'm getting a mani/pedi followed by a much needed hair cut. Yey!! 

Sunday we are planning an Aquarium trip. I'm excited to take Grayson back, he always has a good time and it's been a while since we have taken him. Obviously Nolan has never been, not that he is going to get much out of it. I will get some good pictures though! 

2 Months...

Tomorrow. Tomorrow marks 2 months since Nolan was born. Monday marks going back to work after Nolan was born. I can't believe how fast all this time went. 

He is an interesting little man, even at 2 months. He likes to sleep - a lot. He goes to bed around 11pm. Sleeps straight through until around 6am, gets up to eat and then sleeps some more. Then he is awake around 10am for like, an hour, and does this on and off all day until around 5pm. Then he just likes to stay awake (with about 2 tiny cat naps) until around 10-10:30pm when we start the night time routine. 

He is a happy baby. All smiles and giggles when he is awake. He really gets happy when his diaper is being changed. Funny, funny little man. 

He has even tried rolling a few times already. His arm gets in the way since he doesn't know how to work them yet, but he does successfully get onto his (right) side. Well, he has 2-3 times. 

He loves when I stick my tongue out at him and I swear he tries to do it back. Wheels on the bus while I use his legs as the bus -- also a daily hoot. 

He is a kicker. When he is awake he is constantly trying to ride an imaginary bike. I know all babies like to kick, but Nolan does it 10 times more than Grayson ever did. So much so I bought him a kicking piano toy. It actually just came in today, plan to open it tonight when I have awake baby. 

2 month down already. I'm enjoying every day, or at least I'm trying to (no one likes the crying spells that every baby brings to the table). I will miss all the ups and downs of this kind of day.

I am looking forward to getting back into normal life as well. I need adults to talk to daily, I need work that doesn't revolve around trying to figure out when my baby is going to wake up to eat and if I have time to fit a quiet shower or lunch in during that time. I need meals where I don't have to hold my baby, or feel bad about not holding him while I hoover my meal. 

I am going to love the happiest face in the world when I see him at the end of his school day, where he learned things I would never think to teach him. Where he made friends without needing my help, where he learns that no matter what Mommy & Daddy will be there for him. These are thoughts and ideas that I heard but didn't understand until I went through it with Grayson. This time is will be easier. This time I already know what is going to happen. I know Nolan is going to love us more than words can say, and that he is going to love school and make best friends and jump for joy to tell us all about it. 

2 months will turn into 2 years before I know it. I can't wait to be on that journey with Nolan as he learns and grows. 

I have a 3 year old

So, yesterday marked 3 years since I had my first baby. This was a big day. It was a fun day. I feel that we really have transitioned into parenthood now!

I kept Grayson home from school yesterday and had my dad come watch the baby so that Grayson and I could have a, "Mommy & Me", kind of day.

I made him pancakes and bacon for breakfast (which is a current favorite of his). He opened gifts (all of which stuck to this years party theme of Toy Story 3). And once my dad arrived off we went to Grayson's first trip to Chuck E Cheese. Which he loved. I loved. We had a blast.

Then once daddy got home from work we went to the toy store where he got to pick out a toy himself, then to Friendly's for "chicken fries & ice cream". His choice.

Looking back on the past year there have been big changes: Grayson has become a person, from how he acts to how talks and expresses himself, he is a full blown person now. He is prepping to move into the pre-k class at school, he became a big brother, he is learning how to be himself. 

I can tell that the year ahead is going to be challenging. He is definitely testing us more, fighting us more, getting fresh with us more. I'm excited to have a 3 year old - every year that passes definitely finds itself being better than the last with him, but I feel that I'm going to have to re-find my patiences with it comes to him and hopefully help him learn to be a happy and good person, without either of us disliking each other on the other side. 

Welcome year #3!!! 

He "Slept Through The Night"

We swaddled last night. We have tried in the past but he never took to it. I wasn't taking no for an answer last night. And he went down around 11pm & woke up for a feeding at almost 4am!! It was amazing to get that much sleep in one shot.

Then he went back down & slept until a little after 7am. It was amazing.

Now, Grayson is where we are having more sleeping issues than I think we should with an almost 3 year old. First off, he fights going to bed every damn night. I know napping is part of the issue, but we can't cut naps out completely at school. He is still in a room where they "have" to nap. He moves out in the spring. Thank goodness. I'm hoping we can change the sleeping thing there.

Once we get him into bed even though he tells us 7 million times he doesn't like sleeping - he then is up for HOURS just playing. Changing the time he gets into bed doesn't help, he is still laying in his bed playing and talking and singing until well after 10pm.

And to top it all off, what happened this morning happens more morning than I would like, I hear him calling for us at 6:30am!! Is that the end of the world? No. When I go back to work I'm planning to get up at 6am to get the day going and still have some kidless time to get that all to happen flawlessly. But right now - and especially on a Friday when he goes with my dad & doesn't leave the house until after 8:30 - it's annoying.

Then I feel bad because I'm angry at being up & I know he can feel my anger. I don't direct it at him. I just took him downstairs, gave him the milk and breakfast he asked for, and let him watch some TV while I sat next to him... but I could feel the anger coming out of my pores. I could.

That leads me to another Grayson "funny" moment. He starts every conversation with, "I love you mommy." "I love you daddy." When he walks into the house after being gone all day he doesn't even have both feet in the door before I hear, "I LOVE YOU MOMMY!" I love it. I want to try to get these moments on film to play back when he is a teenager that wouldn't say two words to me when he walks into the house. I want to be able to prove to him that he did like me at one point in his life.

He also pulls out the, "I love you", card once he knows that we might be mad about something. If he does something he isn't suppose to, or if he does something he thinks might be wrong he tries to smooth things over by letting us know he loves us. I love and hate it at the same time. Does he really worry that we don't love him? I make sure that I always tell him in the worst of times that no matter what he did I still love him.

Hopefully he will sleep in tomorrow! At least until after 7.

One Month & One Day

Today was Nolan's one month appointment. He is now 12 lbs 2 oz. He is now 23 inches long. A big big boy I have on my hands!

I have been putting his room into order, which in part means I'm putting his clothes into his closet, finally. Well... I've been tossing aside the 3 month stuff for summer. Even though he is only about 2 months ahead of where Grayson was, Nolan is already snug in some 3 month clothing! Grayson followed the clothing sizes to the pound - not going to be able to say the same about my little "hungry hungry hippo"!

I did his 1 month photos - I put him in the same "freshman" shirt we had Grayson in... I'm going to put them side by side to see the differences, it is definitely part of the fun of having 2 boys. Dressing them in some of the same clothing & seeing how each of them looked in the outfit. Too fun really as a mom.

Nolan is an eater. He seems to want to eat every moment he is awake, or at least more than 1/2 the moments he is awake. He isn't sleeping too well at night because he keeps waking up hungry.

It's amazing how 2 little boys from the same mom really can be so different, even at only 1 month old.

My first favorite milestone

This morning when Nolan woke up I went to him and he made his funny little baby noises and smiled!! 4 weeks & 1 day old, he smiled only for mommy. It was wonderful.

It happened again later in the day, but I haven't been able to get any photos yet. Hopefully soon.

The smiles make the semi-sleepless nights worth it. My whole body just melted into a puddle on the floor. A big mommy puddle.

The clothes have been packed away

The maternity clothes that is. It's done, 3 weeks and 2 days post birth. I am 4lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight. So, there was no reason for them to still be around. It was fun putting my closet back into order. It looks more like a closet now instead of a room that a bomb hit spitting out more clothing and shoes than one person can wear. Ever.

It's been a nice quiet Sunday at home. I cleaned, made breakfast this morning, baked cookies this afternoon. We took a family walk around the neighborhood & even had a movie afternoon all cuddled up on the couch. Today was a day that life was made for. Quiet, happy family time.

Now that my maternity clothing is all packed away, unknown if it will ever be worn by me again, I am turning my sites to getting back into shape. 4lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight is a great start for sure!! Hopefully by the time I'm heading back to work (between 9 & 12 weeks post birth) I can walk in wearing something old of mine, but that they have never seen me in before.

I set my sights high you see.

3 Weeks Today

I can't believe that it's been 3 weeks since I was cut open & my 2nd baby taken out of me. I can't believe that 3 weeks ago I was just getting out of a hospital bed for the first time in 12 hours hoping that I would be able to do so without an insane amount of pain.

That didn't happen, really, it didn't. But I wouldn't change it for the world.

The last 3 weeks have been a whirlwind. First off, being stuck in the hospital for 4 nights/5 days helped the time go by quickly. And then, well - just being at home and trying to sleep whenever I can, and enjoy the time that I have with this teeny tiny little man, I can't believe that the first time around I was so afraid of this. This time, alone, with just me and my little one... it's time you can't get back. It's time you can't imagine being anyone else's. It's time I wish that I could bottle.

I'm trying to forget that my FMLA is in jeopardy, I'm trying to forget that 3 weeks are already gone & I'm that much closer to being back at work and getting back to the real world, where I'm not with my baby boy 24/7.

I'm trying to take in that this might be the last time I have a 3 week old. That this might be the last time that I'm watching a little person learn how to work his arms, legs & smile... I mean mouth.

I know that I'm living this time RIGHT NOW - but I can't help but miss it all at the same time. It's a small, small part of life. It's time you can never get back once it's over.

This little 3 week old is going to be 3 years old in the blink of an eye. And then 13, and then 30.... and not mine anymore.

But for now I'm going to go back to my 2-3 hours of sleep at night, or 1-2 hours of time to myself between naps & feeding. I'm not going to get angry this time. I'm never going to whine about how I'm not getting enough sleep or getting enough "me" time. Because before I know it, I'm going to have more time to myself than I know what to do with.

I love my boys, I need them to know that & I need to remember that at 1am :)

It fell off!

Finally - last night the belly button thing fell off of Nolan. I couldn't be happier. First, it grosses me out. Second, now he can take a real bath! But not tonight.

It's Tuesday & it's just me and the boys tonight. While I did get a crash course in "single" parenting last Friday when my dad couldn't take Grayson because my mom was home with the flu, it's still nerve wracking having to do bedtime with Grayson alone. But tomorrow - tomorrow I hope to have a first bath with Nolan. Start to get a bedtime routine into place, even though he is still a little young for it yet.

It will be nice to use more than water and a rag. Grayson has been sick since Sunday, and keeping Nolan away from him has been a pain in the ass. Making sure everything stays clean, and that I wash my hands every time I'm even near Grayson is annoying. Being able to add in a bath time for the little one will definitely be helpful. I really hope Grayson feels better soon. I feel so bad for him. The cough & the sniffles... just sad.

Moving into the Big Boy Bed

So Friday Grayson, out of the blue, says to me, "Mommy - I want to sleep in my big boy bed tonight." Okay. I knew now was the moment to jump on this wagon & not look back.

So Friday night we moved over the pillow and blankets, his favorite books and stuffed animals and into the big boy bed he went. It wasn't too bad. Around 1am he called for us because he was cold. Nothing new really & an easy fix. Around 5am I heard him crying again. I walked into his room and he was sitting on the floor. "Why are you on the floor?"... "I fell out of bed!" Oh. So there was hugging and kissing and more tucking in. He slept until his normal 7:30-8am from that point on.

Saturday morning, even after remembering and telling Daddy about how he fell out of bed during the night, all Grayson could talk about was how awesome it was to sleep in his big boy bed and how much fun he had. Great!

Saturday night. Got into bed no problem. Daddy fixed the bed up so that he shouldn't fall out again. Everything was pointing to sleeping through the night. And then around midnight.... he was up crying and calling for us. Daddy went in to check on him. At first we thought he had thrown up. But no, he was just coughing like crazy and very sick like. So, that ended the big boy bed sleeping and Daddy took Grayson to sleep on the couch for the night. Just incase he did throw up, we don't want that mess in the bed if we can help it.

And now we come to Sunday night. After spending all day keeping Nolan away from his big brother, it was finally bedtime. Grayson is currently sound asleep in his big boy bed. Fingers and toes crossed that he stays asleep all night long!

The 2 Week Appointment

At birth Nolan was 9lbs. He was 21 inches long.

Last week at his 1 week appointment he was 9lbs 11oz & still 21 inches long.

Today at his 2 week appointment he is 9lbs 12oz & 21.5 inches long.

My little baby boy sure is growing! He is eating every 2 hours during the day, between 2-3 oz at a time. At night we are getting 3 hour stretches between feedings. 3 oz at each feeding. It's working. He is a pooping machine too.

He is a happy little guy, though he does have a clogged tear duct, just like Grayson did. I'm hoping Nolan's will clear up on it's own though. I don't want to wait a year and then have to go through eye surgery like we did with Grayson. That wasn't fun at all.

I can't believe that 2 weeks ago at this time I was getting settled into my postpartum room. I had just become a mom of two and I couldn't wait for them to meet. Time really does fly on by. 10 weeks of maternity leave left!

The joys of the postpartum life

My oldest got home from daycare today & came to cuddle with me like many other days before. My husband came over to talk to me and told me to look down at my shirt.

I look - and sure enough, I was leaking, and my shirt was all wet. Sucks, but Grayson made it all worth it.

"Mommy, you peed on yourself. And now my shirt is all wet!"

I had a c-section 6 days ago. All that laughing just about made me cry in pain. But it's a moment I don't want to forget.

Our First Day/Night at Home

Finally on 1/1/2013 we were released from the hospital! I am still having some blood pressure issues, but I am on medication for it, and am going to be monitored from outside and will hopefully stay that way.

We got out of the hospital, and the first stop we made was to Target. Mainly because that's were I needed to go to get my medicines filled, but I do like to just go there, it had been over a week, I was going through withdraw.

Nolan definitely enjoyed that trip.

Then we went home and met up with Grayson and we were finally at home together as a family of 4 for the first time. It was nice. We played and took naps and just hung around the house being silly. It's what we do best.

Finally around 11-11:30pm the final bottle was given, the final diaper changed & the swaddle was done. From there we had 2 wake ups in the middle of the night. 3:30ish and then 7-7:30ish. Okay - 3 wake ups if you count Grayson around 1am looking for milk. But I have to put night number 1 under the success category.

I had a lot of concerns and fears coming into this family of 4 thing. And I still have a lot of days and nights ahead of us, but this home coming made me realize that it is possible. I already can't imagine not having my 2 babies in my life.

This morning made me almost cry. Grayson come upstairs to say goodbye to Nolan and Mommy because he was heading to school. He climbed into my bed and gave me a kiss. "Where is my baby brother?" He asked me. "Right there in the bassinet sleeping. You can go see him." Grayson climibs off the bed & looks over at the sleeping baby. I told him to get his step stool and use that to see in. Which he did. "I can't give him a kiss!" I told him to move the stool to the shorter side so he could reach. Which he did. He had to make sure he gave his baby brother a kiss before he left for the day. Melts my freaking heart.