Some Time

Rob and P have been having some father/son time the past couple days while Easton and I have been hanging out with the girls. I have awhile before I need to head out to book club and Easton is content in his swing so I figured I'd use this time to catch ya up on life.

So....we've decided that P is destined to be an attorney later in life. We've decided this because he likes to talk in circles when he's being disciplined, trying to talk us out of his punishment for whatever reason. I'd love to give you examples but for whatever reason (hhmmmm....maybe being a new mom again??) I can't think of any off the top of my head. Hang out with him for a few hours, though, and you'll see what I mean. His latest thing that he likes to say is, "When I grow up I get to be the boss. Being the boss is fun." I don't know where he gets that it's fun but I guess attorneys have that mindset.
Maybe when he's an attorney he'll find a way to outlaw monsters at bedtime. A phase that I can't wait to be done with is the "monsters" phase. I feel like we've tried all the tricks of the trade to no avail. Every night, getting him to believe that monsters are fake, is a battle. I felt like we were making a little headway but yesterday we had a major setback. I took him to the local library for the first story time he's ever been to. The book they decided to read?  "Monsters at Bedtime". Seriously. Without thinking, I blurted out, "Do you really have to read that one?" as P looks at me with the "See mom? Monsters ARE real!" look. He started spouting off about how he's scared of monsters and that they try to get him at bedtime. That got some of the other kids going and mass monster chaos broke out at story time. The man continued to read this horrid book that was not calming in the least. Funny? Maybe if we weren't dealing with this issue but I didn't find the humor in it. I warned Rob that bedtime last night was going to be tough. Sure enough, P came in at some point during the night to wake Rob up to let him know that monsters were coming up the stairs (Yes, we moved his bed upstairs so we're all up there now). If P ever goes to therapy later in life I believe it'll be because of his fear of monsters.
P's little brother is not so little anymore. I was nervous about nursing because it was such a disaster with P. But there's no need for worry anymore. I went to a Mommy's Group today at the hospital, where he was weighed. Last week at his check up he weighed 8lbs, 4 oz (almost 2 lbs heavier than his birth weight). Today, a week and a half later, he now weighs in at 9 lbs, 11 oz. I feel that, at this rate, he may be a contestant on the Biggest Loser. In all seriousness, I am THRILLED that he's thriving on breastfeeding! He's still got his days and night a little mixed up but he's a great baby. Right now he's on his activity mat, just looking around. I can't believe he's been in our lives for a month now! He's blessed us in his short life and has proven what we already knew....P makes a good big brother.

All in all, life here at the Lazy H is going well! I know I don't blog as much but I have every intent on doing it. It's just a little crazy here, with P going to preschool 2 mornings a week, dealing with a newborn, etc. So enjoy when I blog and know that I think about it even when I don't. Until next time......

An Attorney, Monsters and a Little Pig

I want to tell you about how P is destined to be an attorney when he grows up. I want to tell you that I'll be thrilled when we get through the "monster" phase in his life. I want to tell you how cute it is when Easton grunts like a pig. I really want to but I'm exhausted (despite getting about 6 hours of sleep last night...yay!) and I have a pounding headache. So I'll leave you with this instead.....

 

Happy 1 month birthday our little angel!

 

 

 

 

Double Trouble

Before having Easton I was told that having two kids was not twice the work but four times the work. Maybe because of all the family help we've received or maybe because we've been blessed with 2 great boys, but at this point I'd have to disagree. The only time I'd say life was challenging is during sleep time. If you know me well you know how much I love my sleep. I've been a sleeper for as long as I could remember so going without is tough. About a month ago, P pretty much grew out of nap time. So trying to get him and Easton to nap at the same time is super challenging. Once I finally get one to sleep the other wakes up and I'm left without a nap. Rob and I've decided that, unless there are certain circumstances (like today for example, where P was up at 4:45am to go duck hunting), P just needs quiet time in the afternoon and can choose to nap or choose to play quietly in his room. That way I'll still get some much needed rest. Nighttime is another challenging time in our house. Easton is eating like a horse so last night he barely let me sleep because all he wanted to do was nurse. And then he'd have tummy trouble so I'd stay up soothing him. By the time I finally got to sleep, P was in our bed eagerly awaiting Rob to get home from taking Mimi to the airport so they could go duck hunting. He was  talking a mile a minute because he was so excited. The only decent sleep I got was from 5:30-7:30 this morning. Needless to say, I feel like a zombie but I wouldn't change it. OK, maybe I'd change Easton's sleep patterns but this too shall pass. In the meantime I'll enjoy my middle of the night feeding times with Easton and P's early morning excitement! 

Saying Goodbye

In the past 3 1/2 weeks I've learned some things. I've learned that overdoing it can take a few days to recoup. I've learned to choose my battles. I've learned to let go of my control issues. I've learned how to ask for help. One thing I haven't learned yet is how to say goodbye. When my parents left a couple weeks ago after helping during my second week at home I cried. There's something about having your mom there after childbirth that means more than words can express. Tomorrow when I wake up and I fly solo for the first time since Easton was born I'll cry. My mother in law has been here for 2 weeks and has been more of a help than I could even begin to describe. I know that millions of women handle 2+ kids on a daily basis without a problem. I know that I'll be a pro before I know it. But the unknown is what bothers me. How do I get both boys to the store to buy groceries? How do I handle it when both boys are crying at the same time? How do I get anywhere on time? (Already an issue for me according to my hubby) How do I get a nap when my preschooler is outgrowing nap time? I haven't had to worry about any of this yet because of all the extra hands to help out. Saying goodbye is not fun and I've appreciated all the help that my parents and mother in law have provided!

***I was finally able to add some pics on the previous blogs so scroll down to enjoy them.

Catching Up

You would think that, with all the help I've been receiving the past few weeks, that I'd have plenty of time to be blogging. Obviously that hasn't been happening but I don't know where my days go. When my parents were here I felt great. We ran errands every day and, although I was worn out, I felt like a c-section wasn't a big deal. However, that changed earlier this week when I picked up a pot of water that was heavier than I thought. It was then that I found out how detailed/intense a c-section really is. It took me a few days to recoup and I was thankful on more than one occasion that my mother in law is here to be a tremendous help. Although I'm still in pain from the nerve endings rejuvenating I've been getting around more this weekend. Yesterday we took a drive to Tahoe to take in the Winter beauty. When we got home some friends came over to meet Easton. Today Easton was dedicated at church. My parents came to town for the special event and after the service Rob, my mother in law, the boys and a family friend went to lunch to celebrate. With all that we've had going on, getting back on my feet again and not getting sufficient sleep at night I was exhausted. So P and I laid down when we got home and took a long, late nap. It's been a fun, but super busy weekend. I would love to post pics from the weekend but for some reason blogspot has not been letting me post pics the past couple weeks. So you'll have to see them on FB or imagine them if you're not on FB.

Below is a short blog that doesn't even begin to convey all that I'd like to say. It's hard to type with one hand while holding a newborn so it's an abbreviated version of what I really wanted to say.

The Meaning of a Mom

I feel like I have it easy as a mom. I have 2 easy boys that, at this point in life, don't demand much. I look at my mom and mother in law and wonder if I could ever be as good of a mom as them. My mom has rearranged plans and her work schedule several times in the past month to come here at the drop of a hat. She's bent over backwards to help in more ways than I could even blog about. 3 weeks ago when I had Easton, she and my dad came to the hospital the next morning to take P for a few days. Then they drove back a few days after I got out of the hospital to help me when Rob went back to work. My mother in law came the day they left and picked up where my mom left off in taking care of P, helping with Easton and all the housework. I feel more like a queen than a new mom because of my mom and mother in law. I only hope that I can be the kind of mom they have been when my boys become dads some day.

Mother of 2

Today I'm taking it easy. Partly because, at my check up yesterday, my dr got on me for overdoing it too soon after major surgery. Partly because I did too much yesterday and didn't get much sleep last night so I'm listening to my body. It's hard being a mother of 2. I have yet-as a mother for 2 for the past 2 weeks-to find the balance between giving both boys the attention they need. I constantly beat myself up over not holding Easton enough or not playing with P enough. Yesterday was like that. I was constantly torn and went to bed in tears because I felt like the only time I paid attention to P was to get on him about stuff. I felt like the only time I held Easton was to nurse him. It took everything in my power not to curl up with P in his bed, loving on him like I should've been doing all day. Or to not put Easton in bed with us because he was having a hard time adjusting to his new co-sleeper (even though I had my hand resting on him most of the night so he knew I was close by).
Between Easton not sleeping well and the dogs getting into a knock down drag out fight in the garage, I didn't get much sleep. I woke up even more tired than when I had gone to bed. Then the morning started with dog poop all over the garage and P screaming bloody murder when I took him to school. But, like I told Rob and my mother in law, I'd rather have a rough day like this with my boys than a great day of teaching. I'm doing exactly what I've wanted to do and, even on the hard days, I'm happy staying at home with my 2 wonderful boys. I'll learn the balance soon enough and have been told it gets easier. Now if only I could get some much needed sleep. Zzzzzzzzzz......................

Tough Love Take 2....Epic Fail!!

Easton is a super easy baby, easier than his big brother was (That's not P's fault, though, because he was so sick the first month of his life). The only time he cries is when we change his diaper....or when we put him in his bassinet at bedtime. I figured the problem with the bassinet was the mattress so I bought him a new one yesterday (Rob teased me that we might as well get him a Sleep Number so he can really enjoy comfort). Last night I decided we'd try the "Tough Love/Cry it Out" method because I was tired of not having any space in the bed. I wasn't feeling well and was running a little fever so I swaddled him, gave him his pacifier, happily put him in his bassinet before crawling into bed myself....Only to crawl back out an hour later when he wouldn't stop crying. Then I was riddled with Mommy Guilt because he had cried so hard he'd spit up and it was all over him. So I put the Boppy Pillow back in our bed, laid him on it and fell asleep. Between an idea Rob had and one I had I tried him in his bassinet at naptime today and it was successful. I don't know if that's because I was in the room and he could see me or what but I was happy that he could lie in his bassinet for an extended period of time without crying. Let's hope tonight is a success and he can lie in his own bed. He's such an easy baby that I'm okay with missing out on a little sleep but I'm not willing to co-sleep with him til he's 3 yrs old like some people I know have done with their kids. Tough love will prevail at some point!

...and Then There was 4!

We knew-and discussed at length-that life for P would be different once he became a big brother. Although we wanted our kids close in age God had different plans. In one way it worked out well because P helps out a lot and "understands" more than a younger child. In other ways it's more difficult because he's been our only priority for 3 and a half years (exactly as of today) so adjusting to a younger sibling has got to be hard. One area that we knew would be hard is the sleeping arrangements. Because of the layout of our microscopic rental P sleeps downstairs and Easton shares a small corner of our bedroom. When Rob put P to bed last night he talked to him about staying in bed but that was too hard for our lil man. He came up to our room a few times before falling asleep. Then, sometime during the night, he came up again to say he couldn't sleep in his room because of the monsters. I was "sleeping" better in my big chair than in our bed so P took advantage of that and crawled into bed with Daddy. Between the boys and trying to get comfortable, Rob and I didn't sleep well. I'm already so sleep deprived that we both woke up in a zombie like trance this morning. I joked that this is why people our age don't have babies....we're too old to keep up with a baby's schedule (HA!). We tag teamed the day pretty good though and I was able to get a few things done. It'll take awhile to get used to being a family of 4, a family with 2 small boys but it's so worth it. We've already enjoyed some special, priceless moments as a family. We're blessed!

Baby Easton's Arrived!

On Friday I was certain that I'd have Easton on Saturday. I had posted on FB, however, that I had a feeling he'd be born by Sunday evening. Good thing I gave myself that extra window of a day. :) Sunday at 3:45am I woke up with intense contractions but they subsided by 5am. A few hours later we all woke up to snow and slick roads so we decided to stay at home. We were going stir crazy by the afternoon and I joked with Rob that I'd probably have to go to the hospital during the big Packers/Vikings game. At the beginning of the 2nd quarter the contractions had come back. But I was determined to fight through them so Rob could watch his game. P looked over and saw big alligator tears rolling down my cheeks and asked why I was crying. He blew my cover! Rob immediately jumped into action, grabbing our overnight bags and starting the truck even though I begged him to wait to see if they'd go away or at least die down. By the time we got to the hospital and got checked in the contractions had pretty much stopped. To top it off the Packers game wasn't on the hospital TV. Rob gave a loud sigh and said he thought I wanted to have the baby so bad that I'd made up the contractions or something to that effect. Wrong thing to say to a hormonal, uncomfortably pregnant lady on the verge of having a baby.
Anyway, back to Easton's story. The nurse came in, checked me and said she needed to confer with my dr who was on call. Long story short an hour later the nurse came back to check me and said Easton was going to be born within a couple hours. All we needed was someone to come get P as he was obviously not welcome in the operating room. Once our friends came and got him for a sleepover I was wheeled into the Labor and Delivery OR. Within 15 minutes, the dr was telling me that Easton had made his big debut, weighing in at 6lbs, 14 oz and measuring 19 inches long. He scored well on the Apgar test and passed his hearing test. Everything looks perfect on him!
My parents graciously came here to make sure P was well taken care of, even though they can't get to our house with all the snow. Rob and I miss him terribly but we're thankful for the special bonding time we've had with Easton and each other. Rob has been such a huge help since I had a c-section and am having a hard time getting up and around due to my incision. I'm looking forward to being discharged tomorrow so we can be our family of 4 at home. We are blessed!